Since we are accustomed to approaching these words of God with the certainty of sin in our minds, I would like to try approaching them with the certainty of salvation in mind.
Kathy was sharing a story about her eight-year-old daughter’s recent behavior. Corey is making small gifts for her mom. In particular, there is one gift her mom highlighted, a tissue paper flower.
Her daughter would go into the bathroom and grab a bunch of Kleenex. Then, she would take a string and tie them up in the middle and unfold the layers, so they looked like a flower. After that, she would take her mom’s expensive perfume, spray it on the Kleenex, and set the fragrant flower on her mom’s pillow.
Kathy smiled as she talked about her daughter’s love but then said she hopes she grows out of this phase soon. “I can’t afford it,” she said. “That’s expensive perfume.” We all laughed.
I appreciated Kathy’s approach. Rather than tell her daughter she was wasting expensive perfume on wads of tissue she had to throw away, she accepted her daughter’s love because she knew her daughter’s limitations. Corey was a child, and Corey loved like a child. Not perfectly, but sincerely, brokenly, and in accordance with her age.
A child’s love is limited by a child being a child. Our children may not say, “Thank you,” the way we want them to. They may not recognize their younger brother’s limitations when they try to play catch by throwing a ball at him. But they are expressing love and that love is important in their growth in relationship to one another and to God.
I thought of Kathy’s story about her daughter when I read the words of Jesus in our text. Jesus is in the midst of a controversy with religious leaders in Jerusalem. A lawyer tests Him by asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus answers by offering the lawyer two: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (22:36-38).
While there is certainly a story about how this question was a test, I would like to focus just on Jesus’ answer. In the middle of a controversy, Jesus tells us a foundational truth. The two greatest commandments are to love God and to love the neighbor. What I am interested in is how we hear these words.
On the one hand, we could hear them as good. The apostle Paul tells us that “the Law is good” (1 Timothy 1:8). It is God’s good design. It sets forth how God would have us be, in thought, word, and deed, in relationship to Him and to one another. God’s Law is a loving word to direct our thoughts, inspire our words, and guide our lives.
On the other hand, because of our sinful human nature, we could hear them as bad. The Law accuses. When we hear these commandments, we know we cannot keep them and they are an accusing burden.
Just as there is a certainty of sin in our lives, there is also a certainty of salvation.
My fear, however, is that this is the only hearing we experience. We may mistakenly think the Law only exists to condemn us and, therefore, simply hear it, confess that we cannot keep it, and be forgiven. What happens then is delight in the good design of God is lost. The life God desires for us, a life in which we love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind and love our neighbor as ourselves, is gone.
Since we are accustomed to approaching these words of God with the certainty of sin in our minds, I would like to try approaching them with the certainty of salvation in mind. God has forgiven us and invites us to live in love for Him and for one another. I am not disagreeing that we sin and the Law always accuses. What I am doing is confessing that, because of the death and resurrection of His Son, God forgives and sends His Holy Spirit to bring us to new life. Just as there is a certainty of sin in our lives, there is also a certainty of salvation.
Because of Christ, we are forgiven. This is sure and certain. And, by the grace of God, we follow our Savior in the way of life God has designed, loving God and loving neighbor.
But, because of sin, we cannot do it perfectly. Here is where Kathy’s response comes to mind. Kathy saw that her child loved within the limits of a child. I believe God, our Father, looking at us through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, sees us as His children: Limited, broken, and loving as much as we can. And He rejoices in the love we have, because our salvation in Christ is certain and He forgives our sins.
I remember Jeff Gibbs, a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, making this point with his class. He asked them to imagine Jesus talking to a Lutheran. Jesus says, “Love your neighbor.” The Lutheran answers, “I am sinful and do not love my neighbor.” Jesus says, “I know that. I have forgiven you. Now, go, love your neighbor.” The Lutheran says, “But my love will be imperfect.” Jesus says, “I know that. I have forgiven you. Now, go, love your neighbor.” The Lutheran says, “But I might think that I will earn salvation by doing this.” Jesus says, “I know that. I have forgiven you. Now, go, love your neighbor.” Depending on the amount of resistance in the class, Jeff would go on and on until we saw our problem. We were living in the certainty of sin but not of salvation.
What I loved about Jeff’s presentation is what I love about Kathy’s response, it encourages our love even as it sees our limitations. Why? Because we are certain of salvation.
Here, we see Jesus, offering loving encouragement, precisely as Isaiah depicted Him: “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench” (Matthew 12:20).
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Matthew 22:34-36.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 22:34-36.
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!
