Sixth Sunday after Trinity (1879)

Everyone knows that a certain righteousness would be necessary in order to stand before God and to enter into the kingdom of heaven; the heathen and unbeliever also knows this in his own way.1 However, most people put their righteousness in a mere external honorable life, others like the old Pharisees and Scribes, also in observance of certain, external relevant worship works. If such a man preached repentance, then they would answer: Why should I repent? What am I doing wrong? I've never prayed to a graven image against the First Commandment, never against the Second Commandment, etc. But such men reveal with this a terrifying spiritual blindness. In today's Gospel Christ Himself shows in the Fifth Commandment which certainly all honorable men have supposed to keep among all commandments, how vain would be the hope of all those who put their righteousness in a mere external honorable life. Matthew 5:20-26 Christ's Interpretation of the Fifth Commandment, A Testimony that No Man Could Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Merely Through An Externally Honorable Life; 1. because according to Christ's interpretation not merely the great but also the subtle transgression of this commandment before God is condemnable: a. not merely the great2, b. but also the subtle, it now happens . inwardly through anger3, . externally, .by angry gestures4, .by angry words5,
1 Romans 2:14-15. 2 Murder and manslaughter, Matthew 5:21, be it personally or through others, 2 Samuel 12:9; mayhem, Matthew 26:52; suicide, Proverbs 24:8. 3 Matthew 5:22a. Cf. 1 John 3:15. "The Lord sets here four different grades or levels of anger, first the wrath of the heart, and that is the chief grade that should be so pure that you do not feel it" [Luther]. 4 Matthew 5:22b, "Raca", i.e. an angry, rude gesture with the eyes, neck, and face and thus it might happen more" [Luther]. 5 Matthew 5:22c, ("you fool", "these are all kinds of abusive words and blasphemous words that one shames his neighbor" [Luther]; cf. Jeremiah 18:18; Psalm 64:4-5, 140:4). "He calls to view three items, as the punishment will be greater and harder the more sin continues and erupts. For he speaks just as it happens in judgment if one should punish an offender.... Therefore he shows with these three levels how one falls deeper and deeper into punishment, even as he should be executed, comes closer and closer to death. Therefore it is said just as much: "Whoever is angry in the heart is already guilty of God's judgment of death; but he who goes further and says 'Raca' or 'you fool', has already received judgment

2. because according to Christ's interpretation all divinely provided external service without keeping this commandment according to its spiritual sense is displeasing and reprehensible to God:6 a. what it to be understood by mere divinely provided external services7; b. why this should be displeasing and reprehensible to God without keeping the Fifth Commandment in its spiritual sense: . because God does not consider the external work, but the heart8, . because God, God Himself, sees what man does for his neighbor, something done for him9; 3. because according to Christ's institution also the subtle transgression of this commandment only here can be forgiven, not only in eternity, because a. here is the way to the judge10; b. there is the judgment11 and therefore no more salvation.12 Therefore no one should rely on his mere external honorable life, but should seek better righteousness as was that of the Pharisees and the Scribes, this is the righteousness that Christ has acquired for all men, that is imputed to men through faith.13

over himself. In sum: he is already condemned to hell fire, because whoever is angry with his brother; but whoever says 'Raca' is even deeper in hell, but even deeper is he who also kills with words and fist. Therefore it is all one punishment and condemnation, and yet more difficult and harder, thereafter sin continues and erupts more" (Luther). "There is probably one hell, yet there are many penalties and punishments therein, and ever closer to a curse, for the others, as one closer to death, one took counsel over him, wherefore he should die of death, for now one leads him to court" [Luther]. 6 Matthew 5:23-24. 7 Matthew 5:23-24 "sacrifice", i.e. all who merely outwardly use the means of grace, going to church, to confession, to the Lord's Supper, reading the Bible, also all who merely outwardly pray, fast, and give for the promoting the Kingdom of God, etc. without heart, faith and love, cf. Luke 18:12. 8 1 Samuel 16:7, 15, 22; Matthew 12:1-7; 1 Corinthians 13:3; John 1:11-15. God judges a person not by their works, but the works of the person. 9 Because God does not need our service for Himself, thus he requires that man serves God in his neighbor, and he will regard this service as one done to Him and something denied to the neighbor as something denied to Him; because God loves our neighbor, whom he has insulted, not sought or the one from whom he takes offense, Matthew 5:25, reconciliation is not granted, Matthew 6:12; 1 John 4:20. 10 i.e. the time of grace, Matthew 5:25. Cf. 2 Corinthians 6;2; Isaiah 55:6, Psalm 32:6 ["at the right time"]. 11 Matthew 5:26. 12 No purgatory. Cf. Hebrews 10:26-27, 9:27. 13 Romans 4:5