Sermon for Pentecost 18: "By What Authority?" (Matthew 21:23-32)

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:

As Jesus was teaching on the temple grounds, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Jesus and asked Him: “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)

 

To give some context to this question on authority, it may be best to know the situation. This is Tuesday of Holy Week. With the Palm Sunday praises of “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9) still echoing in His ears, Jesus had again entered Jerusalem. Since that Palm Sunday procession, He cleansed the temple as He tossed the tables of the money changers and tossed the seats of those who sold pigeons (Matthew 21:12). Jesus had driven out those buying and selling in the temple. Since then, He has taught in the temple with great power and authority. In this context, the chief priests and the elders come and interrogate Jesus saying, “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23).

 

For these chief priests and elders, they had the right to challenge the authority of Jesus. For they were the body to which the spiritual care and welfare of the people were entrusted. So, their question was a good question. Afterall, they had seen and heard of Christ’s miracles and the striking authoritative manner that Jesus taught. But even if their question was a proper question, they weren’t asking it in a manner to fully understand. They were, in fact, insincere and treacherous in asking this question as they were asking it with hardened hearts. Again and again, they had a chance to hear the truth of Scripture, and just as often, they kept bringing up their same old and tired arguments against Jesus.

 

And in a way that may seem surprising, Jesus actually answers these Jewish leaders on the question of authority in a way that is most surprising. Again, “by what authority are you doing these things?”This is a question put to Jesus that is also a frequent question in Christ’s Church today. I have heard this question on occasion -- especially from non-Lutherans about Confession and Absolution: “By what authority does a pastor pronounce forgiveness?” Well, it’s not my forgiveness, but God’s forgiveness. 

 

You, see, Jesus works through Means and the pastor is one of those means by which He gives forgiveness through what’s known as the Office of the Keys. 

The Office of the Keys is the special authority that Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent. For Christ says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:22-23). So, even as keys lock and unlock, so the authority to forgive sins and retain sins opens and closes heaven.

 

Another question on authority is often: “Who is in charge in the Church?” When we ask a question like that, it is always a heart issue. It’s a matter of pride. If Jesus isn’t in charge, then this fellowship here is no longer the Church, but is more like a club -- a group of likeminded people who choose what is right and what is wrong.

 

Questions such as these can reveal the pride that lurks in our sinful hearts. So, we must be on guard against the assaults of the devil and our flesh in questions on authority. Martin Luther once wrote, “The subtle poison of ambition is just under the surface. This sin has often tripped even those who have grasped God’s Word purely. From this sin, all heresies have arisen; ambition is the mother of all heresies and sects. Against this secret villain we must pray to God daily to suppress our self-esteem” (LW 12:188).

 

So, we must learn that we do not need self-esteem, but humility before Christ, who tries our hearts and knows how full they are with ambition, pride, and selfishness.

 

A case in point on authority is the question on John’s authority and his Baptism. Is Baptism by divine authority or simply by man’s authority? The Baptism of John, was it “from heaven or from man?”(Matthew 21:25) Now, Jesus’ question here to the chief priests and elders is no simple debating tactic. The point of our text is not the skillful use of language by Jesus. Although Jesus is certainly skillful at debating. The real point gets to the heart of the issue: the proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah. 

 

John the Baptist is the one who proclaimed Jesus to be the very Lamb of God, who has come to take away the sins of the world. So, if John’s Baptism was from heaven, his words would be authoritative too, and Jesus must be the Christ.

 

So, like the Baptism instituted by Jesus, John’s Baptism was a Baptism into the remission of sins. John’s Baptism worked regeneration and renounced the works-righteousness of the Pharisees. So, the Baptism of John was not merely “from man,” but “from heaven.” It was a Means of Grace with the power to give the forgiveness of sins. It was from heaven!

But what about our Baptism? What about the other Means of Grace? Are they by heavenly authority or merely by human authority? These questions are great issues in the Church today. 

 

So, are the Sacraments from heaven or from man? Well, what does Jesus say? “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). In Holy Baptism, God works the forgiveness of sins, He rescues the baptized from eternal death and the devil, and He gives eternal salvation.

 

But what about the Lord’s Supper? Is that of heaven or of man? Well, who instituted the Lord’s Supper? As the disciples were eating on Maundy Thursday, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28). So, it is only our Lord Jesus Christ’s words that establish the Sacrament of the Altar -- and Christ means what He says. We receive His Body and Blood under the bread and the wine for our forgiveness and strength for our weak faith.

 

Now, what about the Bible? Is it from heaven or from man? Is the Bible inspired by God or is it just ethical teachings from man? If the Bible is just ethical teachings from man, we might as well turn off the lights right now and go home, because if the Bible is from man, what’s the point of being here? If the Bible were of man, there would be no hope, no salvation, no resurrection. But in fact, the Bible is of God, because the Bible is the very Word of God. The Apostle Peter writes, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). And the Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

Now, did Jesus ever say that the Bible was from heaven? Well, one day Jesus came to Nazareth and as it was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. He unrolled the scroll of Isaiah and read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…” Then He rolled up the scroll and sat down. As all the eyes of the men and women were fixed upon Jesus, He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The Bible is from heaven, since every Word is God breathed!

Like all the Means of Grace - Word and Sacraments - they can only be understood through the eyes of faith. Our trust in their blessings is only dependent on the authority of the One who gave them, Jesus Christ.

 

But getting back to the question of the chief priests and the elders, “By what authority are you doing these things?”, Jesus answers their question by not actually answering the question.

 

In refusing the answer, Jesus is actually asserting His authority by refusing to submit to His interrogators. He is above them because He is from above. He is the Man who is from heaven.

 

So, by the chief priests and the elders asking the question on authority, they are rejecting the authority of the One who has come down from heaven and are demonstrating that they reject the One who is from heaven. You see, their thinking is shown to be from men, from below.

 

Ultimately, Jesus would demonstrate His authority over death and the devil by suffering and dying on the cross and bodily rising from the dead. Therefore, the Means of Grace He instituted are also authoritative! So, His Word, every Word of Holy Scripture, is reliable and certain! The forgiveness He spoke was authoritative, so the sins He forgives are forgiven! The Sacraments He gave His Church truly deliver forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation!

 

Now, Jesus’ authority is not just of times’ past. His authority is still at work today in the Office of the Holy Ministry -- the pastoral office. So, when Jesus’ under shepherds preach His Word, you hear Jesus. As Jesus said, “The one who hears you hears Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me, and the one who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me” (Luke 10:16). So, through Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ under shepherds forgive sins by His authority.

 

On this LWML Sunday, we recall the mission work of God’s people. We recall that Christ’s Church is to proclaim the good news of salvation to all people. We do this, not by our authority, but by Christ’s authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

 

So, through a little thing such as the widow’s mite (Luke 21:1-4), those offerings that go above and beyond just our congregation’s offerings, these mites support the Church’s mission of making disciples of all nations, both here and abroad.

 

The Church rejoices in the authority of Jesus! For by His authority, we hear His Word, we tell others of His Word, and through His very Word, we are absolved of our sins. Amen!

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 17: "Not Fair!" (Matthew 20:1-16)

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:

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to Me? Or do you begrudge My generosity?” (Matthew 20:15).

 

Each time I read through the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, I always say to myself, “This is not fair!” You mean, despite the hours worked, everyone was given the same wage! This is not fair! We expect that the longer we work, the more pay we receive. We expect those who work fewer hours to be surely paid less.

 

This is a terrifying thought. God does what He wants with what belongs to Him!

 

As hard as it is for our old sinful nature to accept, our work really counts for nothing. This is the point of the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. 

 

Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1-2).

 

This Master is pictured as a person of considerable importance and enormous wealth. So, there is no need for Him to do any of the vineyard work personally as He hires laborers who would be delighted for any work. So, He goes out to the marketplace to find laborers first thing in the morning. These laborers, who needed an income, were excited to know that they were guaranteed a denarius. So, off they went to the vineyard.

 

As time went on, the Master comes to realize that He needs more workers in His vineyard so that the work would be accomplished. So, He hires more workers at the third hour – 9 a.m., the sixth hour – noon, the ninth hour – 3 p.m., and the 11^th hour – 5 p.m.

 

Up until the end of the workday, every laborer is happy, since they have all been given something to do, and they knew they would receive a wage worthy of their work. 

 

We, too, know what it is like to work for the Lord all day. For many of us, we have been Christians since infant Baptism. Many of us have been Sunday School teachers or served on various church boards. You may be a faithful giver. You may be one who has had regular church attendance all your life.

 

And, like the early laborers, we don’t mind when the Master goes out and hires others later in the day. We delight knowing that more hands make light work. I’m sure the early laborers were happy knowing that they didn’t have to work as hard with more laborers in the vineyard. Like them, we delight, looking around the pews as we see fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have joined Prince of Peace Lutheran Church through adult instruction, or at the invitation of friends, or by coming as our guest one Sunday morning or Monday evening being filled with the Gospel of Christ. We even give thanks to God for those occasional deathbed conversions that we have heard about.

 

But then what does the Master of the vineyard do? “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house” (Matthew 20:8-11).

 

With possibly the exception of the first laborers, the Master has exceeded all expectations. He is very generous with His payroll as He pays everyone the same wage – a full day’s pay – no matter how long or how hard they worked.

 

You likely sympathize with those first called laborers. I sure do. They worked from dawn until dusk. They worked through the heat of the day. They are drenched in sweat. Their muscles are sore. And they are getting paid the same wage as those who worked only a fraction of the day? Worse yet, those who worked barely an hour are getting paid the same wage?! This is not fair!

 

This Master is giving the last as much as He gave to the first. Yes, we rejoice knowing more hands make light work, but is that really fair? Yes, we want more brothers and sisters in the kingdom of heaven, but should those last-minute converts receive the same reward as me, who has been a follower of Christ all my life? Or what about those who put their left overs in the offering. Is it fair that they get the same reward as me who gives to God a proper tithe? This is not fair!

 

In the Parable, the only reason that some came last, and others came first is that the Master chose to call them in that order. The last could have been chosen first. What really matters is that they were chosen. In the Parable, we see Jesus calling laborers into His vineyard. He is calling you and me as His laborers in the morning, mid-day, and even as the sun is setting. 

 

You see, God does what He wants with that is His, and He desires to be generous! Jesus and His kingdom are not about what is fair. Instead, His reign is all about the giving what isn’t fair: His grace!

 

Grace is not fair! Grace is getting what we do not deserve. Do you know what we all deserve? Death, hell, and damnation. Ouch pastor! This is true.  Our sinful nature would rather agree with those attorney commercials that proclaim, “You deserve compensation,” and with the classic McDonald’s ad which says, “You deserve a break today.” But we don’t deserve anything good, since even our best work is soiled with sin. 

 

Since the Fall of Adam, our hearts are not pure, but factories for sin. Like the first laborers, we focus on our sinful pride as we resent others. Our sinful nature leads us to compare one another, to grumble against one another, and to complain about each other. The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). This is the proper payment that we all deserve. 

 

But despite our fallen sinful nature, God is generous! I am sure thankful that God’s ways are not our ways. I am thankful that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). I am so thankful that God is God and we are not. Just imagine how life would be if humanity – and not God – were in charge? There would be no grace. There would be no forgiveness. In Christ, God the Father shows His generosity.

 

Just think about the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). There, God shows His lavish grace shown upon a wayward son who squandered everything – his money and his possessions – through reckless living. When this wayward son came to his senses, he came up with a plan of what he would say to his father. But he never had the chance to say the first word to his father. Instead, when his father saw him at a distance, he ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. On top of that, he gave his son the best robe, a ring on his hand, shoes on his feet – and a royal banquet.

 

Or think about the forgiveness Christ offered to those who crucified Him. As He was nailed to the cross, even as those below were casting lots for His garments, and mocking Him, Jesus says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

 

Or what about the 11^th hour conversion. You know, the promise of paradise for the repentant thief? As the repentant thief was hanging on his cross, he came to faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

 

Jesus is truly generosity in the flesh! In Christ alone, God does – here and now – what He wants with what is His! Christ’s kingdom is a kingdom of grace!

 

In Holy Baptism, He pours out His generous forgiveness upon sinners as He makes you His own. In His Word, He speaks His abundant forgiveness as we repent and confess our sins and He absolves those sins. In the Lord’s Supper, He feeds us generously His very Body and His very Blood as He forgives our sins and strengthens our weak faith.

 

Just as the owner of the vineyard absorbed the costs of paying all workers the same wage, our Lord Jesus has absorbed the full cost of our sins, including our sins of comparing, grumbling, and complaining. In His death on the cross, our Lord Jesus made Himself last in order to make us, by His grace, first in His kingdom. We then live by faith and mercy as grateful workers in His vineyard. We live by faith in the Lord’s grace. We all receive the same favor and the same forgiveness.

 

Yes, each laborer received the same wage. It goes against everything we hold dear, against all our notions of what is right and fair. It goes against our sinful nature on fairness. And praise God for that! Praise be to God that He doesn’t operate according to our standards of what is right and fair. Instead, He does what He wants with what is His! Thanks be to God that He gives us what we do not deserve. Instead, He gives us His grace. He gives us His undeserved favor, love, and mercy because of His suffering, death, and resurrection. He gives us His blood-bought, cross-won forgiveness, life, and salvation. In Christ alone, we are truly given what is not fair: God’s amazing grace! Amen.

 

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

  + SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 16: "Forgiving Generously" (Matthew 18:21-35)

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:

It is highly likely that you have financial debt. I know, I do. Back in early August, U.S. credit card debt broke the trillion-dollar mark. The U.S. Student loan debt is nearing $2 trillion. Not to mention mortgage payments and car payments. So, it is highly likely that you have financial debt to pay. If you think you are financially sound, well, someday, our national debt will need to be paid. So, if you want to be depressed really fast, check out the website: USDebtClock.org. There, you will see your share of the debt rise every millisecond. It’s disheartening. So, financial debt certainly surrounds us all. Now, don’t you wish that your financial debt could be forgiven?

 

Well, today’s Gospel reading is about forgiving the debt of sin. When someone sins aganst you, he is indebted to you until you release him from that debt by forgiving him. For instance, let’s say someone is always saying bad things about you. The Jewish Talmud taught that forgiveness was only on condition, such as not forgiving someone until he or she apologized. And often with forgiveness came a price: the sinner had to make it up to you somehow. 

 

Also, the Jewish Talmud taught that a person was only obliged to forgive someone the same sin three times. Yes, you heard that right: three times. So, Peter seems to be showing some generosity. Peter is gracious as he is offering to forgive the same sin seven times! But what Jesus says is even more shocking: forgive the same “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). What’s more is that God is not counting. That’s the point of that large number. We could never keep track of it! So, Christ means freely forgiving all the time and with no condition. Just think about it. Jesus is saying to endlessly forgive those who sin aginst you every single time he hurts you. 

 

And much more than that! Jesus is saying to treat him as if each time was the first time. So, when our fellow brother or sister in Christ sins against you, with humility, you privately speak to him or her, since you owe that person forgiveness. That is so opposite of what our sinful self wants to do! We want to hold a grudge. 

 

Today, Jesus explains this heavy teaching with the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Here, we have a servant who owes a huge debt. When I say huge, I mean massive. Actually, when I say massive, I mean impossible. This man owed 10,000 talents. Now, it’s hard to comprehend this. How about if I said he owed about $25 million dollars? That is roughly what 10,000 talents equates to in today’s dollars: $25 million! 

 

Now, this man’s king, whom this servant owed the money was not a tyrant. He is a caring king, so he wished to settle the accounts with his servants. Up comes this man who owed him $25 million. This was an impossible amount of money to ever pay back! His only future was debtors’ prison. And since he could not pay, he, and his family were ordered to prison and his possessions would be garnished. With the Law staring right at him in the face, this servant fell on his knees and begs the king, “Have patience with me, I will pay you everything” (Matthew 18:26). 

 

Out of pity, the king who was a generous king forgave this man’s entire debt. The king just generously forgives.

 

Shockingly, this man, who had his massive debt forgiven is unwilling to do the same to a man who owes him a much smaller debt: 100 denarii, which is about $2,000 today. This servant who was freely forgiven would not forgive his fellow servant’s minor debt. Instead, he seizes him and begins to choke him saying, “Pay what you owe!” (Matthew 18:28) He didn’t forgive him and worse yet, he threw him into a debtors’ prison. When the other servants reported this to the King, he immediately called the wicked servant back and angrily had that man thrown into debtors’ prison. He received the punishment that he deserved.

 

Have you ever thought that some churches look similar to courtrooms? This is no accident. Here, we approach the King with our debt of sin begging Him to have mercy on us and forgive us, saying: “Lord, have mercy” (Kyrie). Now, God isn’t like the wicked servant, so He doesn’t grab us by the throat and choke us. No, because of Jesus, God forgives us as He announces personally, “I forgive you all your sins.”

 

Now, there is still a price. All debt must be paid. Either at a loss by the one who is owed debt, or by paying the debt off. Jesus pays the debt. He pays our debt with His life. He takes our place under the judgment of God. He takes our place as the criminal. He dies a criminal’s death on the cross. We, who are guilty are declared innocent. Jesus who is really innocent is declared guilty. This is known as the Great Exchange.

 

Because of Christ’s great act of sacrificial love, we approach the King – our Judge – each week, every day, continually freely forgiven. Today, this courtroom is no longer a place of terror, but a place of celebration, as we rejoice in our forgiveness. So, as repentant sinners, we no longer fear condemnation and the hell of fire as we approach His holy throne.

 

Just think about it. If you owed someone several millions of dollars, that debt should haunt you every day. But to have it forgiven fills you with an indescribable relief and joy! Here, in the Divine Service, Jesus forgives our debt of sin. In response, we bend our knees and praise the Lord as we tell others of His wonderful deeds. Oddly enough, in God’s court, it is the Judge Himself who takes our place in the judgment. He generously justifies you. He declares you who are guilty, innocent. And now, He wants you to do the same. You have been shown mercy, so show mercy.

 

Now, when someone does not forgive another – like the wicked servant, it shows that he never really received God’s forgiveness in the first place, because those who are forgiven naturally forgive others – and not just superficially. Such Christians don’t seek revenge or keep grudges, or remind others of past forgiven sins, or slander another’s reputation as payback.

 

How often do you avoid talking with a fellow brother or sister in Christ because of something they did to you? If God treated us like we tend to treat others, what would become of us? Our debt of sin is so heavy that we would sink into the depths of hell, just like the wicked servant.

 

Revenge, or putting conditions on forgiveness is the sinful world’s response to sin, but this is not God’s response to sin. God holds no conditions on forgiveness. He freely forgives you! So, we ought to generously forgive others!

 

And this includes the many times when the sinner doesn’t even ask for forgiveness! Afterall, we don’t always remember each of our sins against God, but He forgives us anyway. “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). So, let us not keep a record of sins committed by our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

Now, Jesus isn’t saying that when we forgive that we will forget every sin that has been done to you. We aren’t God. So, you will likely be careful trusting a fellow brother or sister in the future, but Jesus always says to forgive. 

As Christians, we should not be holding back forgiveness from others, but forgiving “those who trespass against us” as our Lord taught us to pray.

 

Just think of Joseph from our Old Testament reading. Could our situation be worse than Joseph’s? He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, because they didn’t like his message. Joseph suffers temptation and abuse. But he would later become a Prince of Egypt. Later, his brothers come asking for his help, but they did not recognize him. In an emotional scene, as his brothers are at his mercy and finally confess their sin, Joseph says, “I am Joseph!” (Genesis 45:3). The brothers shake in fear, expecting judgment. Instead, Joseph forgives them and blesses them. Could your situation be worse than this?

 

Or could it be worse than Jesus? Jesus, like Joseph, was a faithful Son. Like Joseph, His own people tried to kill Him because they didn’t like His message. Jesus suffers the abuse of mankind. Yet, after suffering and dying, Jesus rises from the dead, He stands among His unfaithful disciples, who also shake in fear, and speaks to them words of forgiveness and blessing: “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19). As our exalted God and Lord, Christ comes to us today with those same words of forgiveness.

 

You may also notice that before Joseph forgave his brothers, he also wanted them to see the wrong that they had done, so they would know their need for forgiveness. It’s the same with the Triune God. In the parable, the debtor wasn’t concerned at all about his debt, and so he kept on incurring more debt. It’s only when the King approaches him that he begins to feel the debt. So, it is with us. Our Old Adam doesn’t concern itself with sin and doesn’t fear the wrath of God. But when the Law holds your sin before you, then you feel it. Only then do we say, “I am a poor, miserable sinner.” And then the Gospel of Christ forgives that debt of sin.

 

You may not know how high your financial debt may be until you get that bill in the mail. The Law of God is similar. So, when you see our great debt, repent, and ask for mercy, the Gospel shows that God forgives you. In Holy Baptism, Jesus stamps forgiven on your debt of sin. Because of Christ’s atoning death and resurrection, we receive forgiveness through Him and thus, we forgive generously just as Christ has generously forgiven you. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 15: "Confronting Sin and Gaining a Brother" (Matthew 18:1-20)

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:

When you hear the phrase “Matthew 18,” what comes to your mind? Could it be the Parable of the Lost Sheep? What about the woes to the world for temptations to sin? For most of you, I bet you were thinking about Church Discipline.

 

Christ’s words, “If your brother sins against you…” are one of His most unpopular commands that Jesus ever gave. It’s so unpopular that Matthew 18 is so often ignored or even denied. Afterall, there is something inside each and every one of us that would prefer complaining to someone else instead of actually talking with the person who sinned against you, or you think sinned against you. 

§  Our sinful nature would prefer to complain to every other person, except to the one who offended you. 

§  Our sinful nature would rather spread rumors and gossip. 

§  Our sinful nature would rather pout and say, “I’m right and you’re wrong.”

It is certainly hard to talk to your brother or sister in Christ when he or she has done something against you. We all know that it is. We would rather commit to false peace than actual peace.

 

Now, Jesus here is talking about sins that your sibling in Christ has committed against you, which should be distinguished from things that you may just not like about your fellow brother or sister, such as opinions and quirks of behavior that tend to annoy you. What Christ is talking about here are violations of the Ten Commandments, things like: dishonoring your parents, not supporting your neighbor’s every physical need, adultery, stealing, telling lies, not speaking up in defense of your neighbor when he is falsely accused, having a lustful eye to another’s property or spouse.

 

But as we see in Christ’s words, the bulk of what Christ is saying here is that we shall not give false testimony against our neighbor, so that we do not hurt our neighbor’s reputation.

 

But what does our sinful nature prefer to do? Ignore the sin or attempt to cover up the sin. Afterall, who really wants to confront an unrepentant sinner? It’s awkward. It’s uncomfortable. But guess what? That is what we are called to do as Christians, so that we can gain back a brother or a sister from the hell of fire.

This is so opposite of what we want to do. Our sinful nature and the world would much rather ignore sin and move on. Act like it never happened. The world would like nothing less than to memory hole every bad thing and just move on. But do we ever really move on when sin is not addressed? No! The lies that go under the carpet will soon be revealed. The world would like us to believe that covering up sin is a good thing, but God says that covering up sin is never healthy.

 

In fact, covering up sin and avoiding confrontation is not Biblical. One of those lies that is so often perpetrated upon us – and that we often buy into – is that it’s just not nice to not make nice. The world’s lies say that we must be affirming of everything from every possible angle. And really, this seems so pleasant to us. This is what our sinful nature wants because we would always prefer a path of least resistance. It’s more cooperative. It avoids confrontation.

 

But God’s way is different than our way. God’s way is to confront sin. God’s way is to call sin a sin, which is so different than what we want to do. 

 

We would much rather use passive aggressive behavioral techniques, such as complaining to others, or sending anonymous letters to the person who offended you, or even if there were communication, our sinful self would much more prefer to hide behind texts or emails, instead of actually talking face to face. God’s way is so different than our way. This is why Matthew 18 is so unpopular. God’s way is to confront sin directly, so that He may bless us by Christ covering our sin.

 

God’s way is about reconciliation and protecting reputations. Jesus didn’t preach His words from Matthew 18 out of the blue, but they are in accord with the 8^th Commandment which is given to protect ours and our neighbor’s reputation. So, when someone tugs at your ear with a complaint, do not entertain it. Gently ask, “Have you spoken to the person who has offended you?” If they say no, then tell them that’s the first thing they should do. But if they keep complaining without telling the other party, let that complaint go in one ear and out the other.

 

Now, Matthew 18 is not out of the ordinary when it comes to God’s Word. In fact, God chose Ezekiel as His watchman to confront sin. God said to Ezekiel, “When you hear a word from My mouth, you shall give them warning from Me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand” (Ezekiel 33:7b-8).

 

Now, what about the wicked? Would they be the people who are obviously wicked that even the public would decry against them? No! The wicked is everyone who is rebelling against God. Well, that’s us! That’s us, all the time! This is God confronting sin, so that the one being warned would turn away from their sin and receive God’s forgiveness. This is what it means to warn.

 

But I have often heard: “Who are you to judge?” Well, who is doing the judging? Is it you? No! It’s God. To Ezekiel, God said: “When you hear a word from My mouth, you shall give them warning from Me” (Ezekiel 33:7b). So, when we as God’s people are called to speak, we are speaking what God has said and nothing more. If we don’t say anything, what will happen to the unrepentant sinner? As God says, the wicked one will die in his sins, but you will share in the blame. “But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 33:9). 

 

God’s point in warning is not to destroy but to get sinners to turn from their sin. God could have just given up on humanity when Adam and Eve fell into sin. Instead, He continued to speak to us so to bring us back to Him. He continued to converse with humanity through His prophets, evangelists, and apostles. God doesn’t want all of us to be lost eternally. In fact, He keeps speaking to us as He sends us pastors and fellow Christians to warn us of our sin so that the sinner would be forgiven. This is the clear evidence that God wishes to save us by giving us the forgiveness that Jesus earned for us on the cross. But this only happens when the sinner repents of their sin, rather than cling to their sin.

 

This is such a challenge for us. Our society perpetually tells us to just get along, coexist, and tolerate. Today, we live in an era where certain things that were once considered sin are considered acceptable. Even the laws of this country outlawed such sins. But now the law makes so many sins legal, so that we fear even saying a word against such sins.

 

Instead of confronting sin, we would rather shy away from even mentioning the sin. We would rather not cause offense. We would rather not rock the boat. So often, we choose to tolerate sin, which shows intolerance to God and His Ten Commandments.

 

Again, God’s way is to confront sin, since He always desires to bring the sinner to repentance, so that forgiveness can be applied.

 

God is ultra-serious about sin. Sin separates us from Him and from each other. God desires reconciliation. He desires togetherness with Him and our neighbors. So, when Jesus says, “If your limbs cause you to sin, cut them off” (Matthew 18:8-9), He isn’t saying to actually cut off your limbs to avoid sin, but He is looking sin right in the eye. Sin is serious, the fire of hell is not temporary, it isn’t something that will last for only a certain length of time; it lasts forever. So, what Christ is saying is that if you would cut off your hand in order to avoid sinning, it would be well worth it in avoiding hell. Sin is that serious.

 

Confronting sin is about saving. Yes, confronting sin is uncomfortable, but there is always a good reason: it’s about salvation for the sinner. In Matthew 18, Jesus says His words carefully, “If your brother sins against you…” (Matthew 18:15a). Jesus says “brother.” A brother is not a natural enemy. A brother is family. So, there is a loving purpose to Jesus’ words.

 

Every once in a while, a fellow Christian – a brother or sister in Christ – is guilty of a deliberate sin and shows no desire to forsake that sin and make amends for it. When that happens, we must follow Christ’s example of confronting that sin by making a special effort to bring that fellow Christian to repentance.

 

And even if that person’s sin does not harm you directly, it should still concern you. It is still a sin against you in the sense that it disrupts your relationship with that fellow Christian, for you cannot simply ignore another’s deliberate sin. So, if you know about it, your Lord wants you to go to your fellow Christian in private and discuss that sin. If he listens to you and repents of his sin, you have gained a brother, and no one else needs to know anything about it. The matter is settled. There is forgiveness and reconciliation. The straying sheep has returned back to the fold.

 

But if you are unsuccessful, as Christ says, then “take two or three others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (Matthew 18:16). Now, these witnesses should be mature Christians who have respect of your erring brother. If reconciliation is unsuccessful, then the matter goes to the Church. Now, the Church is Christ’s family in a particular place. Our particular place is Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Christ’s family, the Church, are all those who have been joined to Him by faith in Him through Holy Baptism. The purpose of calling attention to the Church is to impress upon the brother the seriousness of his sin and to bring him to repentance. If that fails, as Christ says, “let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17b).

 

So, if the sinner refuses to repent, then Christ says to treat him as no longer your brother or sister, but we never give up on the erring brother as we now see him as one in need of restoration to Christ’s family. Sadly, this does mean we can no longer view him or her as a fellow Christian. But, if the sinner eventually repents, our Lord says that we must welcome him back into the church with open arms.

 

Now, Christ’s commands in Matthew 18 are not three mechanical steps, but guidelines. So, we may repeat our efforts a number of times. But all the while, we need to keep in mind that this is an exercise in Christian love so that we gain a brother.

 

So, would you confront a sinner by saying: “What’s the matter with you! I can’t believe you did this to me!” Well, if you did, you most likely lost a brother. That is not speaking well of your neighbor or explaining everything in the kindest way with gentleness and humility.

 

But what about this way: “I know that I am a sinful man, and I know that I have sinned against you, I hope you always come and tell me my sin when that happens so that I can repent and seek your forgiveness, but now I’d like to do the same with you, because I believe that you have sinned against me. Can I talk to you about that?” Do you hear the difference?

 

Matthew 18 is all about reconciliation. It’s about confronting sin and gaining a brother. Christ’s concern here is that none “one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). If God never gave up on humanity falling the Fall into sin, we shouldn’t give up on our erring brothers and sisters in Christ. So, we must not be afraid of confronting sin, since we are all called by the Gospel to be concerned about an erring brother and his spiritual welfare, so the erring brother is brought back into Christ’s fold.

 

Through the Church, God continuously confronts sin, so that sinners would be given His precious gift of forgiveness. This precious gift was won for all sinners upon the cross. Jesus suffered and died for all your sins so that the door of heaven would be opened to each repentant sinner. Jesus died and rose to grant you forgiveness so that He would gain you as His brother or sister in the kingdom of heaven. May we follow Christ’s command as we confront sin in humility so as to gain a brother. Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +