https://app.dropwave.io/episode/ae4afdab-98e5-4d2c-b976-3fd9d56d925a/trinity-18-ad-2025.mp3

++ JESU JUVA ++

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Pharisees are at it again. They’re testing and interrogating Jesus about the Word of God — seeking to trap Him in His Words. But they know neither the Scriptures, nor the power therein. They fail to consider the One who is Himself their Source and Content. So they want to know about the law — which of God’s commandments is most important? And Jesus gives the very familiar summary. “Love God. Love neighbor.”

How many churches make these four words their mission statement? The words themselves aren’t complicated or confusing or difficult. Yet they are, in a way, deceptively simple. They’re easy to say, but how easily do we do them? “Love God. Love neighbor.”

Some think the solution is better education. But the problem isn’t a lack of knowledge — at least not usually. I don’t know many people who think it’s virtuous to be a cheat or a murder or a liar or an adulterer. The law is written on man’s heart. Everyone already has some sense of what is good.

But our Lord’s instruction about the commandments helps us better understand what our God demands. We learn about the orders of creation and what it means to live faithfully in marriage and what an honest and upstanding citizen looks like. God’s Word teaches us all these things.

But even when all that teaching is there, people still sin. So our problem isn’t a lack of knowledge. Even a fear of being known as a sinner doesn’t help. I don’t know anyone who’s eager to be known as a gossip or a philanderer or a murderer, yet the world is full of these kinds of people. Knowledge of right and wrong doesn’t enable us to live righteous lives. Nor does the desire to do God’s will give us the ability to carry it out.

It gets worse, though. Because how often do we find ourselves not even wanting to do what’s right? We desire and long for our sins. We daydream about the sins we wish to commit.

It’s wonderful when someone else is patient with you, but how often do you extend that patience to others?

Parents, you know that teaching your children to fear, love, and trust in God above all things is your highest calling. It’s the most important thing that you’ll ever do. Yet how easily we let other things get in the way!

Children, you know that God gave a specific command for you: to honor your father and your mother. Yet how often do you grumble as you obey? How often do you roll your eyes at the command to love?

Husbands and wives, you know that love overlooks faults and is eager to forgive, yet how often do you find it easy to pull out a list of wrongs that have been committed against you?

Neighbors, you know how good it is to live in a peaceful community, yet do you hold your tongue when you should? Do you spread gossip about those around you? Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself?

Christians, the family of God — do you confess that God’s Word is your source of life? Then why do you act as though you live on bread alone? Why do you seek to fill your time with only those things that are not God’s Word? Why do you want to fill your mind with things that oppose God’s Word, with evil and gluttony and laziness?

Our desires are wrong.

In today’s Old Testament it says that God gave His commandments “for your good.” Whenever you hear, ‘this is for your good,’ do you not instead hear, ‘This won’t be fun; it’ll be unpleasant.’ Whenever the government makes a law, they say it’s ‘for your good.’

Maybe, like the speed limit, you admit that God’s law is there for your good, but you’re not going to like it. You’ll obey, but you’ll do it begrudgingly, and maybe just because you want to avoid getting in trouble. So while you might keep to the speed limit when you’re being watched, what happens when you’re alone on the road? We’re conditioned to think the same way about God’s laws. He says they’re for our good, but it feels more like He’s stealing our fun. But if we just look at God’s law academically, it can seem pretty reasonable and orderly.

And while we’ll readily add our ‘amen’ when we hear the Ten Commandments, we often have a very different thought when faced with temptation. In the heat of temptation, God’s laws seem arbitrary. We agree that not murdering is a good thing — we don’t want to receive the death penalty — but when our neighbor gets angry at us, all bets are off. We can acknowledge that adultery is wrong and it’ll destroy all our relationships, but when we simply want to satisfy our urges, nothing can stop us. We agree that it’s good to protect the neighbor’s reputation — until we hear that extra juicy bit of gossip.

Standing outside the law and studying it is safe. Then I can keep God’s commands at arm’s length. Oh, yes, I agree with everything they say. But when I’m faced with temptation, I begin to look at the law as my enemy. God’s Word stands between me and what I want. God says I can’t have what I want. So God’s commandments must be wrong.