From Legal Eagle to Servant of Grace: Unpacking Jesus' Radical Love in Matthew 5

    Introduction

    Most of you know that my background has been in the legal field. I earned my bachelor’s degree in public affairs from IPFW, including political science, philosophy, and public policy classes. One of my classes was specifically in law & philosophy. At the time, I thought I was a hot shot, wanting to discuss what my books and classes were discussing. But now - not only can I not remember it, but I’ve also learned over the years… no one cares. This is unfortunate because we have so many laws; we should figure out why they exist. Right? 

    The Purpose of Laws

    So - in my opinion, laws are made - whether they’re religious, natural, or legislated laws - really, what we’re doing here is regulating relationships, how things relate to one another. For example, a law on the books says it’s illegal to fish with your bare hands. Not sure how that one came about, but… it’s real. You may be wondering what kind of relationship that is regulating. I’d love to tell you. This one is most likely handling the relationships between fishermen because if someone can scoop fish right out of the river or lake, what’s to say they won’t take all of them? 

    Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

    Ok, so my logic with why that’s a law might leave a little to be desired. Today’s scripture comes from Matthew chapter 5 and is a part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. People gathered to hear Jesus teach; this is one small section of a much more extensive collection of Jesus’ teachings. Now, there was a lot to read this morning, but there are three verses that I left out right before it. 

    Let me read verses 17-20: “Don’t misunderstand why I have come - it isn’t to cancel the laws of Moses and the prophets' warnings. No, I came to fulfill them and to make them all come true. With all my earnestness, I say: Every law in the Book will continue until its purpose has been achieved. And so if anyone breaks the least commandment and teaches others to, he shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But those who teach God’s laws and obey them shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you - unless your goodness is greater than that of the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders, you can’t get into the Kingdom of Heaven at all!”

   Beyond the Letter

    Well - what does that mean? Jesus seems like he’s on one of his rants again. For all the commentary and conjecture that has existed over the centuries on why Jesus came - it’s pretty plain here - he has come not to cancel the laws of Moses but to ensure that they’re followed! Because as we have seen over the last few weeks, we humans are imperfect at that! He’s saying that only the law is THE requirement to live in the Kingdom of Heaven because those who do NOT follow the law will enter; some who DO follow the law will be kept out. True righteousness is not following the law's letter but the law's SPIRIT. Jesus came not to get rid of the law but to fulfill it. Our discipleship in the modern age needs to be deeper than a set of rules, which could seem strict if applied inappropriately but to get to the heart and understand the divinity in each person. Living in the right relationship with God shows how we love others AND ourselves. 
    Now, let’s get into the meat of our text today. There are four major issues that Jesus talks about murder, adultery, divorce, and oaths. Jesus, again, knows what the Law is because he embodies it; he is taking the precedent, if you will, and interpreting it for people in a new way. This new way relies less on the letters of the law and its authority than giving power to his authority as the keeper of the law. Moving from… the law says… to what does Jesus say? It makes room for God’s room and presence; God can breathe in a space where mercy and grace begin to work. 
    Jesus starts in the place I think we all would: with MURDER. When I think of the law, that’s the first place my brain goes. So - Jesus - murder is still wrong, right? And here he is… he affirms that the laws of Moses get into that murder is absolutely wrong, but what’s behind the acts? Murder never begins with a knife or a gun. I'm not saying those aren’t tools to carry out your intentions, but humans judge and dehumanize others. Anger is where it starts, which can be accompanied by jealousy and rage. Jesus tells us we must check ourselves and what we do with our anger. 
    Talking next about adultery, Jesus breaks it down again in the same way - this is not about the other person! This is about YOU and what you are doing and can control—beginning with objectification, which dehumanizes the other person and makes us only as strong as our desires. Jesus is NOT saying that when your eyes are wandering, and you know that you are sinning, please tell the other person to change because it makes you uncomfortable. NO! No actual mindreaders have existed, and to expect that from anyone else is absurd. It’s impossible to control what is going on in your mind, let alone anyone else’s, but when you realize what you’re doing - stop and redirect to something else, asking for forgiveness. 

True Righteousness and Living in God's Kingdom

    In all these topics, Jesus touches on supportive relationships and what happens when we break them. The Law was introduced to serve relationships rather than the other way around. To the extent that they provide a moral or ethical framework, it is foremost in the acknowledgment that when we break collective commitments, harm occurs, and damage demands repair. God’s laws are for humanity's benefit; that does well when boundaries and expectations are clear. Human-designed rules may create boundaries and expectations but fail to meet the standard of God’s justice when those restrictions are designed to divide, privilege the powerful, and perpetuate harm to the marginalized.
    Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker movement, used to say to her fellow workers, particularly in difficult or stressful times: “If each of us could just remember that we are ALL created in the image of God, then we would naturally want to love more.” Here in a few minutes, we will be gathering together shoulder to shoulder, receiving God’s grace in the form of bread and juice. We remember that there are no outsiders in God’s realm. 

The Communion Table as a Place of Peace

    But I have one last question: during communion, is the table or altar a place for the peacemakers to come, or is it a place for making peace? How does the church become the place to connect people of peace and be known for that? Worship involves all aspects of our lives - not just what happens during this hour. Our relationships, how we treat others, and what we say and do express our faith in God. So, being worshipful outside these walls may inspire worship while you’re inside. 

Conclusion:

    This has been one of the more difficult scriptures to preach on. Our culture especially values autonomy, individualism, and independence. While I give you a few words, connectedness, community, and interdependence may be less popular messages. There may even be pushback from some of you sitting here. It may feel uncomfortable because it does push back against the world’s values. The values that each of us shares individually affect the others sitting here in our sanctuary. But as a part of this community, each of you matters and has a place.
    Going against the world’s criteria for success is never a loved message. But sometimes, such is the nature of preaching, and perhaps this is why Jesus’ first act in Matthew had to be a prophetic sermon. A sermon that was willing to tell the truth about ourselves, discipleship, God, and what is really at stake because Jesus is Emmanuel.
    A claim easily sloughed off. A conviction readily set aside. A confession regularly deemed as utopian. Yet, at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, the only way this sermon could be preached is the premise of Jesus as Emmanuel. When we remember that God is with us, not just that God is with us, we realize we are not simply community members. Still, shapers of community are shaped by community, all of which tell a critical theological truth—our God is a God of community.
    Like I said towards the start of my sermon, Jesus came not to end or even replace the Laws of Moses & the prophets. He came so that we can know God better and our journey can be deeper and more fulfilling. It can start with you making peace. 
Amen.