Perhaps you have heard someone say something like this: You do not have the right to judge me. My life is my own y your idea of right and wrong is just your opinion. God will not punish me for doing what's right in my own eyes.
This person may have had today's Gospel reading in mind as a rationalization for their point of view. However, it is a mistaken point of view and a misinterpretation of the Scriptures.
The Bible tells us what is right and wrong in God's eyes. The Law of God, that is, the 10 Commandments, have been given to us as a yardstick to measure how everyone's lives conform to the holy will of God. And it is certain that God will punish sinners who do not repent. The Good News of Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross is a message of grace before the Last Judgment.
Furthermore, the Bible says we have the responsibility to correct erring brothers. In Romans 15:14, the Apostle Paul writes, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."
But, not the words, "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge." Many tims in the New Testament, our Lord Jesus and His apostles speak of our motives, the desires of our hearts. The Christian life does not consist only of outward actions, but also of a transformation of the mind. Even in the Old Testament, the Law of Moses does not deal only with outward acts, but also with the motives behind those acts. The last two commandments deal exclusively with covetousness, the evil desire for our neighbor's assets, not with the sinful deeds already prohibited by the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth commandments.
Also, the Eighth Commandment says it is sinful to bear false witness against our neighbor. In the Small Catechism, Dr. Martin Luther explains it this way: "We should fear and love God that we may tell lies against our neighbor, nor betray him, nor slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything."
That is to say, before accusing our neighbor of any misdeed, let us make sure that the accusation is true, and even then, interpret his actions in the most charitable way possible. Of course, our Lord says it is necessary before anything else to remove the speck from our own eye before trying to remove the plank from our neighbor's. We must clean up our own act first, to avoid hypocrisy.
We all are sinners and need God's forgiveness. At the same time, God has commanded us to speak the truth and work for justice. That means at times we must confront a fellow Christian who has fallen into sin. But, always our motive should be love for the brother and the desire to restore him to a right relation with God, not to harm or destroy him.
In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we find this advice from our Lord: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
If you think someone is in error, first talk to him face to face, do not gossip behind his back. If it is true that he has fallen into sin and will not repent, you must confront him with two or three witnesses. If he still does not repent in front of witnesses, that is, if he sins publicly, the congregation must remove the evil-doer from fellowship. But the goal always should be to restore the brother to the communion of the saints.
Likewise, the purpose of preaching the Law to unbelievers is so that the Holy Spirit can touch their hearts, and move them toward repentance and saving faith. God desires the salvation of all and does desire that any should be lost.
Thanks be to God that there is forgiveness for all of us in holy baptism. We always may remember the promise of God when He called us by name and gave us the new life in the water and the Word. Amen.
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