August's Sermons

Church Period: Epiphany 7th Sunday After
Sermon Title: No Limit Love Makes For Better Human Relations
Sermon Date: February 19, 1984
Rev. August Hauptman
Sermon Text: Matthew 5:38-48

Dear Christian friends:

"Good fences make good neighbors." Perhaps you have heard that old saying. That saying assumes that good fences help neighbors to respect each others property. That is true - fences do protect our property. That's why we established a fence around Pilgrim Towers two years ago. But fences also separate neighbors from each other. Fences prevent visiting one another and talking to our neighbor and showing kindness and love to our neighbor.

Fences are the same as laws. Fences and laws put limits on people. Fences and laws do not make good neighbors. What does?

What makes really good neighbors? What makes better human relations? In our text Jesus shows us the answer to that question. He shows that:

No Limit Love Makes For Better Human Relations

We humans have the habit of limiting our love. Jesus noticed this and criticized this. (verses 46-47) We love those who love us. We love our friends and the members of our family, but strangers and others we don't care about them. We limit our love to those who love us or who are good and kind and worthy of our love.

We humans refuse to love the bad people and the lawbreakers and cheaters. We want to punish them and get revenge against them. In our text Jesus reminds us of this. He says, "You have the law, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." (verse 38) Again Jesus says, “Your law says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." (verse 43) And we humans do that all the time. We always limit our love; we love only those who love us. When we limit our love we do not have good human relations.

God, our heavenly Father, does not limit His love. In our text Jesus says, "He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (verse 45) Our heavenly Father loves all people, both the good and the bad. He lets the sun and rain bless both the good and the bad and gives food also to those who never pray to Him or thank Him. He blesses even those who mock Him and curse Him and take His name in vain and break His Commandments all the time. God's love is not limited! He has no limit love!

God especially shows His no limit love in His Son Jesus Christ. God shows His beautiful love to us, in that, while we were still sinners, He let Christ die for us. (Romans 5:8) "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (payment) for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

Jesus loved those who displease us and whom we humans always hate, the crooked tax collectors and harlots and other bad sinners. (Luke 5:27-32) Jesus loved those who despised Him and mocked Him. While He hung upon the cross He prayed for them, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

Jesus loves even us! We by nature are God's enemies, and are not worthy of His love. Really we deserve His anger and eternal condemnation. (Ephesians 2:2-3) We have been saved by His grace. (Ephesians 2:8) "Grace" is undeserved love! And although we daily sin much and often, He daily forgives us, feeds us, helps us, and blesses us! (1 John 2:1-2) God's wonderful, no-limit-love is what makes for better human relations. By it enemies become friends and friends grow stronger and better. Through His no-limit love we have become His dear children, and He wants us to have no limit love, to love as He loves.

Let us read our text again and hear from Jesus Himself how we Christians should have no limit love for better human relations:

"You have heard people say, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a’ tooth. But I say to you, Don't get revenge! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone wants to go to court to take away your shirt, give him your coat also. If someone forces you to walk a mile, go with him two miles. If someone asks you for something, give it to him, and if someone wants to borrow from you, borrow to him. You have heard people say, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who hurt you. In this way you will show that you are the children of your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on all people, both bad and good people, and He lets rain come no matter if people do right or wrong. If you love people who love you, that's nothing special. Tax collectors do the same. If you salute only your friends, that's nothing special! Unbelievers do the same! You be perfect the same as your Father in heaven is perfect!"

No limit love for others is not easy and it may not seem right or fair. But God does not call us to an easy and fair life. He calls us to be perfect, like Him! And we can aim for that with His help.

Amen.