Christ’s cross , Christ’s marks, Christ’s grace, and Christ’s Law of love are on display in this concluding section of Paul’s letter.
This is the conclusion of the epistle to the Galatians, the letter in which Paul addresses the conflicting message of the Judaizers, “those who want to make a good showing in the flesh” (Galatians 6:12), and presents the Gospel of Christ as one received by faith for salvation. The message is Jesus plus nothing. No circumcision, no works, no anything except for the grace of God in Christ. This theme emerges in the final few verses of the pericope (Galatians 6:14-17), with inspiring lines (with which the letter is obviously chock-full already!). Consider how you cannot help hearing Isaac Watts’ “Forbid it Lord that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God” when you read Galatians 6:14, which is where the hymn-writer pulled it from. You hear echoes of Jesus’ John 3 argument with Nicodemus and His John 6 argument with the Capernaites (“the Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing”) as Paul proclaims, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision mean a thing; only a new creation does” (Galatians 6:15). And speaking of body marks, Paul trumps circumcision with “stigmata,” the marks of Christ (Galatians 6:17). He is the apostle who carries the death of Christ with him bodily, as he centers his letter at Galatians 2:20-21 (also refer to 2 Corinthians 4:10 and Philippians 3:10). Any of those last three punches are worthy of focusing an entire message on.
I highly encourage you to consider them as the better path. This is particularly true if you are tempted to make a clever fundraising appeal to your hearers on the strength of Paul’s instruction at Galatians 6:5-10, telling his readers and listeners how they owe their teachers and should share all good things with them (pulling out other prooftexts like 1 Corinthians 9 and Romans 15). Using an authoritative text to try and squeeze money out of your hearer is not sermon-craft. It is craftiness, period. Exploiting the serendipity of the text showing up on a week when you want to do a so-called stewardship appeal in your congregation is also not sermon-craft. Again, it is craftiness.
But even if you do decide you want the balance of your address to treat this section, sermon-craft would demand that you know what a sermon is for, and that is to kill and make alive by the holy Word of God in Christ. So, you need to ask: Where is the Christ in this text from whom your hearer needs to hear? And what in this text is blocking their view of Jesus and needs to be removed to see Him more clearly?
Notice how these questions approach the text to be preached differently than subjecting it to a sophomoric Law-Gospel identification quiz. That kind of move can lead the preacher down an unhelpful route of thinking. The questions become too simple, like, “Is this text law or is it gospel?” This leads to deducing that, if it is more law, then I need to emphasize law in my homily, or if it is rather more gospel, then do that instead, but I must always do both because that is what I remember from my seminary training (again, what someone might think).
I am telling you, though, that is not the case. What I am describing is too simplistic. Whatever your texts over the course of your pulpit time (counted in individual sermons as well as a career), the predominance of biblical preaching should be delivery of the Gospel! No “balance” of law-gospel. Unfortunately, I have actually heard this “balance” line from seasoned preachers. From whom did they learn about a “balance” of law-gospel? Distinction certainly is key but not divorce and surely not balance.
But I digress. What I just described is no better than a freshman mistake, easily avoided by having a solid learning in and continuing practice of dividing the Word of truth faithfully (2 Timothy 2:15), carefully distinguishing law and gospel in every text you read and are called to apply. Still, the well-seasoned preacher knows that is not the end of the task. All preaching is meant to deliver Christ. So, a wise preacher is going to ask, “Where is Christ in this text?” He is not so hidden that you need to import Him from elsewhere, as if the pericope were simply clipped too short (circumcision pun not intended).
All preaching is meant to deliver Christ.
Notice: Christ’s cross (Galatians 6:14), Christ’s marks (6:17), Christ’s grace (6:18), and Christ’s Law of love (6:2) are on display in this concluding section of Paul’s letter. This is the Christ to see, the one who washes His disciples’ feet as He lays down the law of love (John 13:34), the one whom Paul quotes earlier at Galatians 5:14 (see Matthew 22:34-40). Jesus shows His love to the full extent (John 13:1) by bearing His marks for you, your hearer, and the world by taking them to the cross, by ever delivering His grace, his favorable attitude towards sinners, in light of His suffering and death to atone for them.
So, if you want to focus on Galatians 6:5-10, what could a sermon that delivers Christ look like, rather than popping out the proof-text for supporting your pastor or renegotiating a raise in an inappropriate place? Here is a possibility. Recognizing that Matthew 22:34-40 follows on the heels of Christ’s words specifically about rendering money to the appropriate places (Matthew 22:15-22). Of course, what Christ says there, “Why put Me to the test, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18) may be enough to move you away from the attempt.
In any case, let us proceed with caution as we consider crafting a sermon around Paul’s words here in Galatians 6:5-10:
- When Christ talks about the greatest commandments, they are commands to give.
- See Matthew 22:37, 39.
- In what ways “give?”
- Giving love and honor, fear, trust is what it is to keep the first and greatest commandment.
- Giving love (bearing each other’s burdens, gratefully supporting the needs of one another, living generously in our interdependent world) is what it is to keep the second one, which is like it.
- But our striving falls short, whether it is giving to God or giving to neighbor, giving to discharge the demands of the Law.
- This matters deeply. It is not just because we are impoverished. Indeed, we are rich in so many ways! It is because our ways of giving are fraught with sin, human nature turned in upon itself (causing selfishness, dissension, jealousy, indolence, and the like). James 4:3 even reminds us that we ask wrongly too.
- Despairing of your own ability is the healthiest spiritual move you can make (Galatians 6:3). It makes us sympathetic with others who share our weakness and inability as well (Galatians 6:1-2) and drives us to repentance individually and corporately. This is a move from looking at yourself to looking at Christ alone.
- Repentance is recognition of our need (repentance part one: Contrition), turning out from self in whom there is no good and giving up on my ability to give rightly or receive rightly.
- Repentance is recognition of the fulfillment of that need (repentance part two: Faith), turning towards the Savior, the One who fills the need, the giver God who gives in Christ.
- The Law of Christ is love (John 13:34 and others).
- Christ laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13).
- Christ exchanges your burden for His (Matthew 11:28).
- Bearing one another’s burdens is nothing more nor less than carrying the cross of Christ for one another (Galatians 6.2, 5, 6, 9, 10).
- Giving to each other is Christ giving in and through us, and us giving to Christ (Matthew 25:40).
- Paul is not laying down special rules for Christians about giving in Galatians 6. He is consistent with Jesus in Matthew 22:21 (render to God what is God’s; also see Romans 13:7-8).
- What Christ gives, we share with one another (Galatians 6:6 - the “koinonia” or the fellowship, the communion, and also Christ’s cross (Galatians 6:14), Christ’s marks (6:17), and Christ’s grace (6:18), all are gifts from Christ!).
Focusing on gift language and Christ as the giver of all good gifts is a good guardrail for delivering Galatians 6:5-10 responsibly. But be generous with your choices in the pericope! Maybe instead, focus on that low-hanging fruit in the final comments in the letter. Or consider what I plan to work with personally next time I preach this text, which would be a focus on Galatians 6:1-2. Here we find the cover-up job and care of confession and absolution, the messiness of the office of the holy ministry in real time, and what interdependence in the body of Christ looks like when the Church understands itself as a “sinners not-so-anonymous” meeting rather than a country club.
God bless you in your sermon-craft this week!
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you preaching Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
