Dear Christian friends:

When anyone becomes a Christian He is a changed person. St. Paul says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17) The believer is a changed person. He does not live like the unbeliever. Everything the Christian does is new and changed.

In our text Jesus explains about some_of these changes. Jesus explains about the changed relationships of the Christian. We Christians need to be reminded of these changes that should show in our life because often we forget and live the same as the unbelievers. Jesus reminds us of our changed way of living. He only can change us.


Jesus changes our relationship with God.

The unbeliever is proud and self-righteous before God. He hides or defends his sin and wrong doing. He also refuses to obey God's commandments and goes his own way. He sometimes even says that there is no God. He does not really know God and he cannot love God. The unbeliever also does not trust God to give him what he needs for the support of his life. He trusts in his own body and wisdom, or in money or others.

The believer or Christian is not like that. Jesus has changed his heart and mind. He is like a little child. (verse 15) He is humble before God; he obeys God as a child obeys his dear father and he trusts God as a child trusts his father for food, clothes, house, toys and protection. God is the dear Father in heaven for a Christian. The Christian has a beautiful Father-child relationship with God.

How is this new, changed relationship with God established and maintained? Through Jesus His Son, our Savior. Without Jesus we have no good relationship with God because we are helpless sinners. But in Jesus God forgives all our sins and accepts us as His dear children. In Jesus we can love God and trust Him, as children trust a dear Father. St.Paul says, "The love of Christ constrains us.... He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Through Jesus the Christians' faith is established and kept alive through all temptations and troubles. So hear Jesus' Word often! Remember your baptism, and come often to the Lord's Supper. Then Jesus can change your relationship with God and keep it good.

Jesus changes our relationship with God; He also changes our relationship with our family.

If you have the right relationship with God, you will also have a good relationship with your family. If you love God, you will also love the members of your family.

You know that today many families are in trouble, many broken families. Many divorces, children rebelling against parents and running away from home. Often brothers and sisters hate each other and refuse to speak to one another. Here in our text we read how the Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him about divorce. (verses 2-12) Jesus explains that Moses' law permitted the Jewish men to divorce their wives because of their "hard hearts," stubborn hearts. (verse 5) Apparently we have many men today with hard hearts also. The unbelievers do not have a good relationship in their families and I am sorry to say that often believers also do not seem to have good family relationships.

Only Jesus can establish and keep good relationships in the family. In our text Jesus reminds us that God has instituted marriage (verse 6-8) When a man and woman get married, God joins them in one. They are not anymore two, but one. And what God joins together in marriage man must not separate. Jesus reminds us that marriage is "unto death." Jesus reminds us that we Christians should not even think about getting a divorce, but make our marriage last until death.

That is not easy, as many of us have experienced. Only Jesus can give us the love, patience and strength to stay married and have a good marriage and a good family. He teaches us to love one another and forgive one another as He has loved us and has forgiven us. If we remember Jesus' love for us, how he died for our sins, then we receive the love to endure and forgive our spouse and our children and keep a good family relationship. Someone has written, "Families that pray together stay together." I believe that is true. Families where Jesus is welcome are good and happy families. So welcome Jesus into your home by reading His word each day and by worshiping together on Sundays. Accept Jesus' love and forgiveness and then love and forgive one another.

As Jesus changes and strengthens family relationships, so He also changes our relationships with others outside the family. Jesus warns us to know that we are not better than others, that we are all helpless sinners, as helpless as a baby, and as a baby is fully dependent on mother's love and care, so we helpless sinners are completely dependent on God's mercy and love in Jesus. (verse 15) Our family, same as other families, stand before the holy God as forgiven sinners. We have a common basis with all other people: we are all same sinners before God and God has shown love, mercy and forgiveness to all of us the same, in Jesus. Jesus takes away our pride and boasting and makes us humble to accept others.

Then we can reach out to others to help them in their troubles and needs. We can do this because we understand how God has forgiven our sins in Jesus. We are eager to inform them and share with them the Good News of God's grace in Jesus Christ. We will talk to others and deal with others in a humble, kind way, as one forgiven sinner to another forgiven sinner. We will not talk to them in a proud, judgmental way as before.

Jesus by His love and mercy changes all our relationships: our relationships with God, our relationships with our family and our relationships with all other people. Praise Jesus!

Amen.