Sixth Sunday after Trinity

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“Mankind operates in a fog. We stumble and fall along our path. We create our paths as we go along. And when we look back, we see the man and we see the path. Yet, we do not see the fog.” – Milan Kundera, Testaments Betrayed

Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk with a friend when suddenly, they stumbled, fell, and went down, not seeing a crack in the sidewalk? It could happen to any of us. But, to your surprise, your friend pops up and says, ‘It’s ok. That was good. I like defying the law of gravity. I think I will start stumbling and falling more often out of spite for gravity.’ — Me neither. — People do not like to stumble and fall; it is embarrassing and potentially, physically harmful. And yet, the way the world acts, it is as if they were like people, spiritually hurling themselves to the ground to defy GOD and His laws. Only, then, to pop up and say, ‘It’s ok. That was good. I like defying the righteous laws of GOD. I think I will start stumbling and falling more often out of spite for His laws.’ — Importantly, on this Sixth Sunday in Trinitytide, we are presented with a portion of St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans from chapter six that addresses ‘the fog’. — Now this letter – the Letter to the Romans – is the Bible’s premier ἀπολογία/apologetic/defense for the argument for the depravity of mankind, Jew and Gentile, as well as the justification and sanctification of the Christian by GOD in Christ, both Jew and Gentile.

St. Paul desires his readers to understand that mankind, left to himself, rejects his Creator and worships the creation. He says in Romans 1.22-23, “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible GOD into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” Paul concludes in Romans 3.22-23, “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD.”

But Paul does not let his Roman compatriots down. Instead, he assures them that GOD has not given up on His creatures, though they would prefer to go their own foggy way. Paul teaches the Romans that GOD gave to mankind His law of righteous deeds to constrain man’s impulses and passions, so that he might know what his Creator considers good and evil behavior. Paul says, “I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7.7). Further, Paul says, GOD’s law of virtuous living “is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7.12). The challenge, says Paul, is that the law of GOD does not produce righteousness in us. Instead, he points out, that there is a power that is active in each of us – within our human nature, that desires to go its own way, against GOD’s law. St. Paul explains it this way: “Sin, [in our human nature], taking the opportunity by the commandment [of the law of righteous deeds], produced in me all manner of evil desires” (Romans 7.8). — That is, when we see the sign that says, ‘Do not walk on the grass’, it is precisely at that moment, and not the moment before, that we feel within us a base desire to go over, (all else being meaningless), and walk on that grass which we have been commanded to keep off. — Or when we see that sign that says, ‘Do not touch the paint,’ we want to touch the paint and see if it is truly wet to test the command of rightness. — Touch the paint and pay the consequences – bah! ‘I will touch the paint if I wish! — Until we see the commandment, we would never have thought about walking on the grass or touching the paint – it was totally out of our will and desire. As Paul said, ‘I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”’ Thus, Paul explains about the Law of GOD: “The law of GOD that was to bring life, [in it], I find to bring, [in me, impulses towards] death” (Romans 7.8).

We should ask the question then that St. Paul anticipates: “What shall we say – is the law of GOD sin? Certainly not! On the contrary…I see another law in my members, warring against the law of [GOD], and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7.7 & 23). — St. James describes this law of sin in us that leads to death in this way. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (St. James 1.14-15).

In today’s Gospel Lesson from St. Matthew, chapter five, JESUS uses sarcasm to underscore sin’s power to reign over us, not for righteousness’ sake, but for the sake of desire and sin. The LORD says, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (St. Matthew 5.20). There were none more legalistic and law-abiding, in the flesh, than the Pharisees. Paul, himself a Pharisee, described his legalism by describing himself as “a Hebrew of Hebrews … as to righteousness under the law of GOD, blameless” (Philippians 3.5-6). — Who can compare to the higher-than-thou, ‘super-dutiful’ Pharisees? — Yet, JESUS finds a crack in the most legalistic legalism.

The sinful nature is not only of the body, warring in our members, needing mastery by GOD’s law of righteous deeds. Our sinful nature is also warring in our minds, viz., the heart and soul, which is the seat of our human passions. — The LORD challenges His legalistic opponents on their treatment of the Imago Dei (Image and Likeness of GOD) and its value in every person by every person, when He says: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment [of the law of GOD]’: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment [of the law of GOD]: and whosoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca’ (a know-nothing), shall be in danger of [defamation before] the Sanhedrin: but whosoever shall say, [or belittle his brother to his face or behind his back, saying], ‘Thou fool’ (moron), shall be in danger of Gehenna’s fire” (St. Matthew 5.21-22).

The LORD JESUS accentuates St. Paul’s point. He shows how the Pharisees were ready to bring to court any man for breaking the written law of GOD in word or deed, while JESUS said that such judgment from Heaven would be executed upon those who sinned against GOD’s righteous law in their hearts. — Even though we seek to obey the law of GOD’s righteousness, and we might have mastery over it in our members, the law of sin and death is working in our minds to unravel the whole warp and woof of our ‘Technicolor Dreamcoat’. — Just when we commend ourselves for our chasteness, our eyes wander and cause our hearts to lust.

Dear church, sin brings about the death of us at a heart level, killing our righteous ethical intents through our earthly passions. — Recall what our LORD said concerning the heart: “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…” (St. Matthew 15.18-20). And JESUS equally condemned physical sin. He said, concerning the body: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (St. John 5.14). — All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of GOD! —

Thus, St. Paul, like the rest of us on so many occasions, trying to obey the law of GOD, unsuccessfully, in thought, word, and deed, cries out in Romans 7: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” — Rightly, Paul answers his own question: “I thank GOD – through JESUS Christ the LORD!” (Romans 7.24-25).

St. Peter, in his first epistle, following the theme of St. Paul’s apologetic, offers the solution to our primordial predicament. He says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to GOD – being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3.18). — And as a result of JESUS Christ’s perfect and sinless sacrifice, we can be justified from the sins warring in our flesh and delivered from the eternal consequences of those sins after our physical death. It is through His death that JESUS justifies, and it is through His resurrection that we gain victory over death. Thus, friends, if we are baptized in Him, which is to be incorporated and joined to Him, we inherit His righteousness and everlastingness. By the inheritance of His Spirit at Holy Baptism, JESUS’ newness of life, and liberty from the sin that wars in our members is reckoned or imputed to us by GOD, by Christ’s Spirit.

Therefore, St. Paul says, “Likewise you also, reckon/consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to GOD in Christ JESUS our LORD … For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6.11 & 14). — In Christ, having been incorporated by baptism into His family/Body, we are no longer under the influence and compelled to the agency of the law, but to the agency of grace. — We have a new nature and the heart of stone that once resided in us, that said, ‘Sign or no sign, I am walking on that grass!’. That heart has been replaced by a heart of flesh – on that heart, the laws of GOD have been written. And in that heart, the desire to please GOD has been inscribed.

Brothers and sisters, the war is finished in our minds and our hearts against sin, if GOD is our King and Christ our LORD! We have new hardware, and we have been and are being reprogrammed by the Holy Spirit, so that we desire to love GOD through our good works; not to please or defy a law. For by His Spirit in us, we know that we love GOD, and He us. — We know that GOD loves us for what JESUS has done, and we know that we love Him, because we abide in Him, “walking in the light, as He is in the light” (1 John 1.7).

Our new nature, the Christian nature, is controlled by the agency to love our neighbors, because we know, by doing so, GOD will know our love and obedience to Him. Members of Christ’s Body – true members – strive to always act under the agency of grace and not law; to show the Father our great love for Him and His commands. This is a Christian’s heart’s truest desire. Not for fear of punishment or hope for title or acclaim, but for love. ‘For love casteth out all fear.’ (cf. 1 John 4.18)

Thus, the lesson that St. Paul is driving at today, is that, if you are a true member of Christ’s Body, then you will strive to live your life – every moment, decision by decision – under the agency of His gracious love, rather than under the agency of the law of performance – man’s or yours.

Lastly, we are not to offer our members to sin, especially now that all signs ‘be damned’ – the grass sign, the paint sign, the pop-culture sign, the family culture sign, the speed limit sign, etc. Paul says, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin against rules and regulations, leading to death, or of obedience to love, leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6.15-16).

Brothers and sisters, how shall we walk? How shall we live … in a fog? — Will we be the kind of people that walk down the sidewalk, trip over a crack, get up and say, ‘It’s ok. That was good. I like defying the law of GOD.’ — Or will we be the kind of people that walk through this life, knowing in our hearts, that GOD’s love has consequences – it cannot be defied? If so, we must be mindful of every step, not acting under the agency of ignorance, blatant wantonness, or even willful disobedience. Even though we might take one thousand steps in our flesh without stumbling, we can fall, spiritually, at any moment. — Let us then, today, and every day going forward, heed the advice of St. Paul who said that we should mind every step – every action in our flesh – every decision in our minds and hearts.

I pray by the power of the Holy Ghost, on this Trinity Six Sunday, that we all, the faithful remnant of Christ at St. Mark the Evangelist, will bear new fruit to GOD with the new heart and new nature we have received through our Holy Baptism. — Let it then be said of us, good people, that GOD should be thanked, “for though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were entrusted. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness … having your fruit to holiness, and your end [focused by faith, on] everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death [under the agency of the law], but the gift of GOD is eternal life in Christ JESUS our LORD, [under the agency of grace]” (Romans 6.17-18, 22-23). Amen.