"Are We Not to Judge?" (Luke 6:27-38)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Jesus said: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:36-37).

 

These words of Christ are often quoted. They are rarely ever misquoted. But what we may think of these words are often the opposite of what Jesus is saying here. I’m sure you have heard those words,“Judge not, and you will not be judged” even in Christian conversation. And often unbelieving pagans will use these words of Jesus to us Christians as a way to say, “You are in no position to judge!” So, what is Jesus meaning by those words: “Judge not, and you will not be judged”?

 

Well, first thing to note here is that these words of Christ have been misunderstood for centuries, but for different reasons.

 

In the Middle Ages, the people had a much different wrong understanding of these words of Christ than the popular wrong understanding of today. But both wrong understandings have a common misunderstanding. They are both taking Scripture out of context by cutting and pasting these words of Christ to fit what these false teachers want these words to mean.

 

First, let’s look at the old misunderstanding. In the Middle Ages, these words of Christ, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” was taken by many in the church to mean that we must do something to earn salvation. In other words, Christ’s atoning death wasn’t enough for you and me to inherit salvation, so we have to do something. 

 

These words of Christ were stern law that the Christian had to do so God would love them and then in turn receive His forgiveness. These words were used to scare Christians into submission so that they would get right with God to receive His divine mercy. Luther fought against this wrong interpretation, since there is nothing we can do to ever merit God’s love. We could never get right with God. It is only God who is able to get right with us, through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

For most Christians today, we rarely think about that interpretation. But if you know any Roman Catholics, they still hold on to that way of thinking.

 

But most likely, you have heard those words of Christ “Judge not, and you will not be judged”meaning something entirely different. In this post-modern era, those words have become to mean that we are forbidden to recognize the sins of others and even our own sins. Those words have become to mean that we are to not judge at all, that we are not to discriminate between right and wrong.

 

So, is Jesus forbidding us from engaging in any kind of judgment? Well, if that is the case, then Jesus words here make no sense whatsoever. If we are not to judge, then what do we make of these Scriptural texts?

 

§  Jesus says in Matthew 18: “If your brother sins against you …” (Matthew 18:15a). How would we know what sin is without judgment?

§  Jesus says in John 7: “Do not judge by appearances…” (John 7:24a). Ok, this fits with the idea of never judging. But wait, Jesus isn’t finished, “But judge with right judgment” (John 7:24b). So, how would we know right judgment?

§  Jesus says in Luke 12: “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:57). So, what is right?

§  Jesus says in Matthew 7: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16a). How do we know false teachers from true teachers without judgment? How are we to recognize fruits of faith without first judging the fruit?

§  St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes in Romans 13: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). But don’t governing authorities judge?

§  And what are we to make of the Bereans in Acts 17? “They received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11b). How are we to know the validity of what the pastor says without studying the Scriptures?

 

So, clearly, the idea of never judging is not the case, since we are to judge. You see, the Bible is full of judgments between good and bad. Just think of Cain, Babel, David’s sexual sin, John the Baptist’s preaching, and Jesus judging the seven churches of Revelation.

 

What are the Ten Commandments? They are but God’s Law of judgment, which shows us our sin and serves as our guide in the way we ought to live and want to live. 

 

Another way to think of judging is this: How can you be a judge of a court and not judge the law? How can you be a referee and not judge if play is fair? How can you be a teacher and not judge their student’s homework? How can you pick out which fruit to buy at the grocery store without placing judgment upon that fruit? How can a pastor not judge between false doctrine and true doctrine? How can you be a parent and not also discipline your child?

 

Clearly, we know the difference between right and wrong. We know that truth is different than fiction. So, what is Jesus saying here? Well, Jesus is not forbidding judgment, but when we judge we must think the way God thinks. Jesus is teaching us to become merciful just as God our Father is merciful.

 

You see, God is the ultimate judge, so we are not to judge according to our flawed way of thinking, according to our flawed understanding of things, but we are to think and judge like God. We are to think like God the Father. But how can we do that?

 

Well, when we make judgments, we must do so in the view of the mercy and grace of God. So, when we make any judgment, it should never be toward harsh condemnation or the rejection of the sinner – we never condemn anyone to hell, but we always lead the sinner toward forgiveness and reconciliation. God doesn’t show us our sin because He hates us. He shows us our sin, because He loves us. He shows us our sin, so that we would turn from it and receive His forgiveness.

 

So, we interpret “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you” in light of what is said before them, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

 

So, we speak what’s right for the sake of your neighbor. True love is always to speak the truth. So, if your child did something wrong, it is your duty to judge his wrongdoing in order to save him.

 

God’s inerrant Word speaks of judgment all the time. But whenever God speaks, He speaks judgment in order to save. He speaks of judgment as a warning. He speaks of judgment out of His love.

 

For Jesus says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19-20a). Likewise, St. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit writes, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

 

God is the judge. And He warns us against those evil things that come from the sinful flesh and the sinful heart.

 

Now, none of us here today are as pure as the wind driven snow. We are all filthy as we are stained with sin. And yet, God calls on all of us to judge ourselves and to judge one another. But, again, we don’t judge using our flawed reason and thinking. We judge only as God judges as He has revealed in His Word.

 

So, what does being merciful like God look like in practice? Well, it looks like this: When you judge, first recognize your sin, fully acknowledge your sin, since your first judgment must be upon yourself, but out of your love for the other, it is your responsibility to help the other by speaking of their sin so to lead them to repentance and forgiveness. Now, speaking of judgment is never easy, since no one ever takes delight in speaking words of judgment. So, we speak as sinners to fellow sinners with always in mind the gospel that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).

 

At one time, we were all God’s enemies, and we all deserved what was coming to us – eternal death and hell, but He gave us Christ instead, who took upon Himself our judgment as He suffered and died our punishment as He hung on the cross. Because of that judgment, we are now forgiven and reconciled to God. By faith in His Son, God the Father has given us forgiveness out of His divine mercy! So, when we judge, we judge like God our Father, who is merciful, as we confess our sin, speak God’s Word of judgment, and proclaim the forgiveness won for everyone in Christ! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Wonderful Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor …” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

There are many prominent people who are known by their attributes. What I mean is that so many people are known by names that aren’t their actual name, but a name that describes their attributes.

 

When you hear “The Man in Black,” who do you think of? What about “The Piano Man”? What about “The Rock”? Each of these names describe attributes of singers Johny Cash and Billy Joel, and wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson.

 

These titles were given to these men in addition to their actual names because those titles describe something about themselves or their work.

 

About 2,000 years ago, a man named Joseph was about to cancel his wedding plans with his fiancée named Mary. He was distraught, because he found out that his future wife was already pregnant – and he knew that he was not the father.

 

Joseph could only assume that Mary had cheated on him. However, God sent an angel to Joseph to explain to him that she was still a virgin. The only reason Mary was pregnant was that the Holy Spirit had worked a miracle and conceived a child in her womb. This angel then said to Joseph: “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”(Matthew 1:21).

 

The name “Jesus” is a Hebrew name that means “God saves” – an appropriate name for the Son of God who took on human flesh so that He could save us from our sin by dying on the cross in our place of punishment.

 

After Matthew recorded those words of the angel, we learned: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name ‘Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)’” (Matthew 1:22-23).

 

These words that Matthew quoted were from the prophet Isaiah. By the Holy Spirit, Isaiah was able to prophesy that one day in the future a virgin would give birth to a son who would be called “Immanuel” – God with us.

 

Even though this Child’s actual name would be Jesus, He would be known by other titles that would describe something about His person or His work.

 

In our first reading from Isaiah 9, Isaiah gives us details about the Messiah who would be born of a virgin. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given … and His name shall be called …” (Isaiah 9:6). Isaiah says that this future child – the One born of the virgin who would be called “Immanuel” – this same Child would also be called by other titles!

 

“His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This Child would not only be known as Jesus and Immanuel, but also four additional titles. Tonight, we will focus on that first title: “Wonderful Counselor.”

 

So, why “Wonderful Counselor”? Even before people understood Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus would amaze people with His wonderful teaching.

 

When Jesus was 12 years old, He was in Jerusalem teaching the teachers. We are told in Luke 2 that “all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47). 

 

Years later, after Jesus began His public ministry, more and more people were amazed at His counsel. Following Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we learned that “the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes”(Matthew 7:28-29).

 

Simply put, the people were amazed because Jesus taught them as though He was God Himself giving wonderful counsel to His own people.

 

In tonight’s Gospel reading, Jesus said: “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-27). 

 

After hearing Jesus say those words, some in the crowd may have recalled those words from Isaiah 26: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4).

 

We all need the wonderful counsel of Jesus. As sinners, we are often misled by the cunning counsel of the evil one who works through unbelievers who despise the counsel of God. And as sinners, we are all tempted to listen to the foolish wisdom of the fallen world and ignore the wonderful counsel of Jesus.

 

Just such a tragedy happened in the days of Isaiah! God’s own people were listening to the counsel of unbelievers. Even many of the teachers of Israel were twisting God’s own Word and thereby giving evil counsel.

 

However, God preserved a few faithful men, such as Isaiah, and they preached and taught God’s Word in its truth and purity. Sadly though, many people in Isaiah’s day despised God’s wonderful counsel.

 

In fact, Scripture teaches us that unless the Holy Spirit gives us new hearts of faith that rejoice in God’s Word, we will see God’s Word as foolishness. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes: “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18) And: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

 

Like the Israelites of Isaiah’s day, all of us here tonight are guilty of turning away from God’s wonderful counsel. We are guilty when we choose to skip the Divine Service. We are guilty when we choose to not be taught His Word through Bible study. In fact, we also sin even when we do hear and study God’s Word, but then doubt or question what God teaches us. We sin when our human reason trumps what God has spoken in His Word. We are all guilty of giving our attention to the foolish counsel of this fallen world while remaining ignorant or even defiant of God’s counsel of Law and Gospel.

 

But there is good news! “The people who walked in darkness – you and me – have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2).

 

You see, God comes to us and speaks to us His wonderful counsel by which the Holy Spirit turns us away from the lies of the devil and gives us faith in the Gospel of Jesus! “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us – you and me – who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is so important for us to hear, read, and study God’s Word. The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to convict us of sin, so that we might repent and put our faith in Jesus, who was born to save us from our sins. This same Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to cleanse our minds from the foolish counsel of this fallen world and replace it with the wonderful counsel of the Lord Jesus.

 

The book of Isaiah is full of God’s wonderful counsel. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God would give us a son – a child – to save us. He would be “pierced for our transgressions,” “crushed for our iniquities,” “upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed,” and “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5, 6).

 

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us – you and me – who are being saved, it is the power of God! By the power of the Holy Spirit, we call Jesus our “Wonderful Counselor” because His Words are the Rock and Solid Foundation of our lives – now and for eternity!

 

Jesus – our Wonderful Counselor – loved you so much to be conceived in the womb of the virgin where His little hands and feet developed and grew so that they could one day be nailed to the cross where He would suffer and die for yours and my sins. Jesus – our Wonderful Counselor – conquered death for you by His bodily resurrection so that you can face death knowing that you have the hope of the resurrection of the body and eternal life in God’s love!

 

Now, we don’t rejoice in God’s wonderful counsel because it makes sense to our fallen human reason. We rejoice in God’s wonderful counsel because the Holy Spirit has given us faith to trust God’s Word even though His ways are not our ways.

 

The baby boy conceived in Mary’s womb was given the name Jesus because He is the eternal Son of God who would save us from our sins. But we don’t only call Him “Jesus.” We also call Him “Wonderful Counselor” – and we continue to be blessed by His wonderful counsel as we hear, read, study, believe, and trust His Word! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Come, Follow Me" (Mark 10:17-22)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: 

“And Jesus, looking at [the rich young man], loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, see all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’” (Mark 10:21).

 

You may not consider yourself to be rich. But if you have a refrigerator and a car and you can afford to go out to eat ever so often, you are considered “rich” by worldly standards. 

 

You see, an American family at the official poverty line has an income that puts them in the top three percent of the world’s people. If your income is the average household income that would mean that you are not merely a one-percenter compared to the world; an average American household income puts you in the top of the one-quarter of one percent in the world.[1]

 

So, no matter where you are: as a cashier, a factory worker, a banker, a farmer – you are rich. But that is okay. There is no sin in having money. And Jesus loves rich people, including you and me. Rich people need the love of Jesus.

 

One day as Jesus was setting out on His journey, a rich man, like you and me, ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)

 

It appears that this man has figured out the answer to his own question, but he wants Jesus’ approval. You see, this man assumes that he has the necessary ability to easily reach eternal life.

 

So, Jesus responds to the question saying, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). Now, Jesus is not arguing with the man or trying to one-up the man. Jesus is getting to the heart of the issue. It was certainly rare in Jewish circles to address a man as “good,” since “good” was reserved for God. 

So, does this indicate that this man believes that Jesus is divine? Or could this be ironic? Or simply flattery? We don’t know. But Jesus continues getting to the heart of the issue.

 

He says, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother’” (Mark 10:19).

 

So, why did Jesus choose these commandments? Well, it’s likely that these commandments were the ones that the rich young man was most sure that he has kept. We all have our favorite commandments that we believe we have never broken. We say those things all the time: “I’ve never murdered anybody.” “I’m a faithful husband.” “I’m a faithful wife.” “I pay my bills.” “I have never cheated anyone.” “I don’t gossip.” “I take care of my mom and dad.”

 

Our sinful nature gives us the thought that we can keep God’s Ten Commandments without too much trouble. Our sinful nature believes we are quite sure that we have a good moral record.

 

So, the rich young man says what you might say to Jesus, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth” (Mark 10:20).

 

Without a blinking of an eye, this rich young man says he has fulfilled each of those commandments. He says He has fulfilled the Second Table of the Law. He claims that He has loved his neighbor as himself since his youth. He claims he is perfect. He claims he has not sinned.

 

For this rich young man, God’s Law did not terrify him, since, according to him, he has kept the Law.

 

Then Jesus lovingly looked at the rich young man and said, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21).

 

Like this rich young man, our possessions can weigh us down so that we pay too much attention to the wrong things. Like him, our possessions can get in the way of following Jesus. So often, your possessions, your riches, are standing in the way of embracing Jesus’ friendly, kindly, gracious invitation: “Follow Me.”

 

Now, money and possessions are not evil in themselves. Jesus is not saying that we must give away all that we have to the poor in order to inherit eternal life. That would not be wise, since we need material goods for survival. But Jesus is using this to get to the heart of the issue.

 

Jesus, here, is answering this rich young man’s question by zeroing in on his one great fault: he loved his wealth more than he loved God. He has made his wealth his idol – his false god. He feared, loved, and trusted in his material wealth above all things.

 

So, to inherit eternal life, this rich young man needed to rid himself of his idol – his false god. And after he rid himself of his idol, he was to go and follow Jesus. This rich young man desires eternal life, but in order to have it, he must put God first in his life by following Jesus.

 

So, what are you willing to give up?

 

The triune God is a jealous God as He wants you all to Himself. So, just as Jesus looked up at the rich young man and loved him, He also looks up at you and loves you. 

 

By bringing up the commandments, Jesus is not playing gotcha. He brings up the commandments as a reminder that we fail in keeping them, even if we think we can. But as soon as we put anything as more important than the one true God, the dominoes fall as we break each commandment one by one. So, whoever fears and loves anything else in heaven and upon the earth will not keep any of the commandments. The triune God takes no pleasure in those who have other gods. 

 

You see, everything flows from the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:3). Flowing from the First Commandment, we do our neighbor no harm, injury or violence, nor in any way oppress our neighbor regarding his body, wife, property, honor, or rights. We honor father and mother, masters, and all in authority, and are subject and obedient to them, not for their own sake, but for God’s sake.

 

God is angry and punishes those who despise Him and His commandments. On the other hand, God abundantly rewards those who love Him and keep His commandments. So, what do we do? We respond to Jesus’ invitation: “Come, follow Me.”

 

So, don’t let anything get in your way, or derail you, or distract you, or point you in another direction. Jesus says this isn’t about what you have or don’t have. It isn’t about what you ought to do or should have done. What matters is following Jesus.

 

You see, Jesus loves you so much that for yours and my sake, though He was rich, He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The Son of God had all the riches of heaven, but He lowered Himself by becoming man, taking upon Himself human flesh, so that He could give you your undeserved inheritance: eternal life.

 

Jesus is with us today in His Means of Grace as He forgives yours and my sins and strengthens our faith through His Word and Sacrament.

 

Jesus fulfilled the Law, suffered and died our punishment for not obeying God’s Law upon the cross for you and me. He rose, so that we would also rise from the dead.

 

So, how much would following Jesus cost you? Jesus says: “A person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take His cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds His life will lose it, and whoever loses His life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:36-39).

 

So, following Jesus means to go His way. And His way may not be easy, according to our sinful nature. For He says, “Enter by the narrow Gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the Gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14).

 

For us rich people, to follow Jesus is to find eternal life by losing everything – but receiving more! How do you think you are following Jesus if you are paying more attention to something else all the time?

 

But Jesus, who loves you, calls you, and invites you saying: “Come, follow Me!” Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines

Sermon for Pentecost 16: "All or Nothing" (James 2:1-10, 14-18)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

 

If partiality is your “pet sin” – a sin you rationalize in keeping – today’s Epistle may not be what you wanted to hear. If you’re not sure if partiality is your pet sin, this has been a recurring sin for God’s people from time immemorial. 

 

A few weeks ago, we heard about this sin. Seven hundred years before the incarnation of Christ, “The Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me’” (Isaiah 29:13). This sin of partiality remained a problem during Christ’s first coming. For He also said, “Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6-8).

 

So, what exactly is this sin of partiality? Partiality is favoritism. Typically, it’s never a smart idea to play favorites. Because whenever we play favorites, we are creating competition. You see, playing favorites based on outward appearances is the way of the fallen world. Now, the character and will of God starkly excludes partiality. God is one who condemns such action among people. This lack of partiality of Jesus was known by the Pharisees, even when they were plotting against Him. For they said to Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances” (Matthew 22:16).

 

Even if the Pharisees were plotting against Jesus, their summation was true. For Christ never said, “It’s true that you are a sinner, but you are a little sinner compared to that other guy who is a murderer. That murderer is a really bad sinner. I don’t care about small sins.” You see, before God, all sins are damnable. So, if you are guilty of one part, you are guilty of it all. But at the same time, all are also justified freely by God’s grace.

 

The problem is that we are not like God. However, we are to grow up into Him by being made holy through His Word and Sacraments. So, how do we see this sin of partiality in our lives? Well, do you ever feel “split”? Do you ever find yourself trying to rationalize your personal views when they come in conflict with Biblical teachings? Do your Christian convictions only apply to a small part of your life? Sadly, for many Christians, Biblical convictions are rapidly shrinking.

 

What I am about to say may offend you, and if it does, repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness for your sin of partiality. And as it always goes, God’s Law afflicts the comfortable while also God’s forgiveness comforts the afflicted.

 

So, some examples of this sin of partiality are the following:

§  “I know Jesus taught forgiveness, but what if …”

§  “I know abortion is murder, but what about when…”

§  “I know marriage is a union of one man and one woman, but what about…”

§  “I know my Christian convictions should inform my vote, but what if…”

 

Partiality is when a Christian strips the Bible of the things they don’t like, and all that remains is a butchered book of what once was the Bible. Partiality is the Gospel, according to you. Partiality inevitably leads to a religion you’ve invented yourself. 

 

Jesus gave everything of Himself to us, so why do we struggle in remaining loyal to Him? Like God’s people of Isaiah’s time and in the time of Jesus’ ministry, too many Christians only honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him! Our modern world tears us apart as we are taught to separate our lives into independent sectors: education is education, politics is politics, science is science, and on, and on, and on. Our secular society – this fallen world – claims so much as “political,” but most often, it’s not, it’s spiritual. Remember, we are caught in a cosmic battle that we cannot see between good and evil, between God and Satan.

 

We are coerced into becoming partial Christians. And Jesus does not want only a part of us. Jesus doesn’t want split personalities. He doesn’t want us to be a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He wants all of us! In Luke 14, Jesus speaks of this saying, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. … So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).

 

As poor, miserable sinners, we have become partial people. For good or bad, we care how people look, dress, and speak. We even tend to divide people by age and skin pigmentation. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, James teaches us that any partiality has no place in God’s kingdom. Included in this sin of partiality are racism, quotas, and DEI: “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” 

 

The fallen world convinces us that quotas and DEI are good, but they actually promote the division of people, and as Christians, we should have no part of this. Again, the Holy Spirit inspires James to say, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1).

 

To this sin of partiality, James reminds us of the Second Table of God’s Law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8). And if we remember and live by the Ten Commandments, we are doing well. But if we revert into following the world, by showing partiality to our sinful nature, we are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as transgressors (James 2:9).

 

However, this sin of partiality doesn’t just stop here. You see, what is really going on with this sin, like all sins, is a faith issue. James writes, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14). That is a good question. This brings us right back to partiality. Here, we have faith put at odds with works.

 

As I said last week, Satan and his demons certainly believe in Jesus. So, simply saying that you believe in Jesus will not save you. Simply having the knowledge of Jesus does not save. This is what James is speaking about. He is discussing a false understanding of faith. A “faith” that is just mere knowledge – or just a claim – that “faith” has no effect on the person who has it. Faith is no passing matter. I hope this is not your faith! You see, faith itself cannot be seen. Faith is only known by its presence through proper confession and natural works. 

 

So, if a person declares that he has “faith,” but his “works” do not belong to such a faith, that person has no such true faith. So, if a person says, “I am a devout Christian,” and even attends weekly church services, but lives as heathen the rest of the week, is that faith able to save him? Well, what does Jesus say? He says: “You will recognize them by their fruits. … A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 18-20).

So, the absence of good works that flow from faith in Christ show that this “faith” is not genuine. This person has a false faith. He has the same faith as that of a demon, who certainly believes in Jesus, but will not cling to Jesus and follow Him.

 

So, without the inescapable evidence – the good works that inevitably emerge and accompany a genuine faith that grasps the Gospel of Christ alone for forgiveness, life, and salvation – then what good is that kind of “faith”? Faith with no evidence is a false, and dead faith. So, never let anyone offer you the comforting lie that such a false and dead faith counts for anything. In fact, in the end, such a dead, good-works-absent “faith” will be of no benefit to you.

 

You see, such a dead “faith” is simply not compatible with our new identity in Christ, which was bestowed on you at the Baptismal font, where, by divine grace, you became a child of God, and a brother or sister of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, a dead, inactive faith disavows the unity of Christ’s living body. Such a false and dead faith cannot stand up to the judgment of God, because once the Law is broken at one point, it is broken in all points.

 

So, how do we, as poor, miserable sinners, protect ourselves from the sin of partiality? How do we become a whole Christian? 

 

Well, we can only become whole through Christ who nourishes us with His Word. As He nourishes us with His holy Word and His blessed Sacraments, we become more like Him as He changes our hearts and our minds. For He is the Vine, and we are the branches and “whoever abides in [Christ] and [He] in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from [Christ we] can do nothing” (John 15:5).

 

It is only through Christ’s nourishment that our faith produces fruits of good works. Through Christ’s Means of Grace, your faith becomes living and active as we actually show our faith through our hearts, mouths, and hands and all in concert. As we grow in faith, we better follow Christ as our pattern of God’s grace and love and mercy to others. Just as Christ showed no partiality, we become like Him in showing no partiality. We look at every human being, even unbelievers, as fellow people who have been purchased by Jesus through His blood shed on the cross. Being forgiven, and with God’s help, we live our lives whole as we cling to Jesus and serve our neighbor in repentance and true faith. So, let us show no partiality as we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  + SOLI DEO GLORIA +