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Epiphany 7 2025
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
February 23, 2025
Genesis 45:3-15, 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42, Luke 6:27-38 

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”\
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com 
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
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            Venn diagrams can be an interesting way to analyze information.  These items belong in one set.  These items belong in another set.  These are the characteristics that both groups share. 

The whole human population can be broken down into two sets; sinners and perfect people. Who goes into the sinner category? Adam?  Yes.  Eve?  Yes.  All of their children and grandchildren?  Me? You?  Yes.  Who goes into the Perfect category?  Well, actually one of Adam and Eve’s great, great grandchildren.  Jesus of Nazareth.  He is in the perfect category.  Two sets, one with all humanity minus one and the other set with Jesus. 

            But here is where it gets interesting.  The two circles overlap.  Many folks are only in the sinner category and Jesus is only in the Perfect category, but there are many people in the area of overlap.  They are both sinners and perfect.

            How does that work?  These are sinners who believe in Jesus to whom Jesus has given His perfection and declared them to be holy.  These people are both sinners and saints at the same time.  You are in this overlap.  As a baptized child of God, as a follower of Jesus, you are in the area of overlap.  You are a sinner, but you have been declared to be holy and perfect and you are safe from the coming judgment on the Last Day.

            The strange thing about being in this area of overlap is that you can become more aware of your sins than those who are in the sinner area alone.  The more you learn about God’s law, the more sinful you realize that you are -- knowing you sin in thought, word and deed.  This makes you increasingly grateful for all that Jesus has done for you. 

There is a danger in the area of overlap.  The devil will try to convince you that you did something to earn your place in the overlap.  He wants you to forget that you are a sinner who deserves condemnation and start to believe that you are good enough.  He will tempt you to believe you are so much better than the sinners you are not in the overlap. 

This is what Jesus is warning about in our Gospel reading today.  When thinking about sin it is our natural tendency to think about other people’s sins rather than to look at our own, and to think their sin is so much worse than ours.

It is spiritually healthy to remember who you are in the overlap of saint and sinner.  You are a sinner redeemed by Jesus.  Beginning worship each week with the confession of sins keeps you grounded.  Being a saint is not from you, but is purely a gift of God though the blood of Jesus. 

            Now, in the set of sinners who are not also in the overlap area of perfection there is a large subset of people who think they are good enough.  These are those who think they are autonomous and just make up and adjust their own rules to live by.  It is also those who follow false religions which teach that you can be good enough through your own actions.  And it is those who trust in their good works rather than trusting in Jesus.  Everyone in this subset of thinking they are good enough is mistaken.  They have been misled.  They are not good enough and are in danger from the coming judgment when Jesus returns.

            No one in the set of sinners is good enough.  Those in the overlap with perfection know that they are not good enough, but have been given the gift of forgiveness, holiness and perfection by the Lord Jesus, and they follow Jesus because He is the font and source of eternal life.  Those in the overlap are marked with the blood of the Lamb which protects them now, and on the Day of Judgment.

            You know you are in the overlap of saint and sinner.  You know you are by nature sinful and unclean and you know you justly deserve God’s present and eternal punishment.  You know that God has had great mercy and grace upon you and given you forgiveness and eternal life.  You are safe from the coming judgment.  You also know that those outside the overlap are in grave danger when the judgment comes. 

            There is a disaster looming and there is ready protection against the disaster.  Picture for a moment a building full of people.  You know there is a looming disaster which will destroy the building and everyone inside.  You know there is safety on the other side of a doorway.  How do to let people know about the doorway to safety?  It is difficult when people do not sense the danger, they will think you are just acting crazy. 

            It can be like this in the world and worse.  You know that everyone in the set of sinners deserves the judgment and condemnation of God.  You know there is protection in the Kingdom of God, under the reign of Jesus, in the overlap of Saint and Sinner.  You try to warn people of the pending disaster and have them come to safety. The problem is that so many are in the subset of those who think they are good enough. 

You try to warn them, “Repent and believe Jesus died for you and rose to give you eternal life,” and too often the response is, “Whoa…what was that first word?  Repent? Are you saying that I have something to repent of?  Don’t you know your Bible?  Luke 6:37 (ESV) 37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged…”  It is a frustrating place to be for you.  In love you want to warn of the impeding danger for all people in the set of sinners, including yourself, but they are hearing it as you being judgmental.  And certainly there are those all about judgment and not about love and it is easy to fall into judgment and condemnation rather than compassion and patience and love.  This is also what Jesus is warning about in the Gospel reading today.  So, how can you make them understand the danger and see the path to safety? 

            A lot of that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  The Lord wants all people to be saved but many resist the Holy Spirit and refuse to repent of their sins.  So what do you do?  Be the light.  Many in the “think they are good enough” subset actually have doubts that they really are good enough.  They are honest enough with themselves to be troubled.  They are looking for something.  So, take time to listen to people.  Listen to their stories.  Listen to their hurts.  It is hard living outside the overlap of saint and sinner not knowing who you are or what you are supposed to do.  Listen with the sympathy and empathy of a fellow sinner and invite them to come with you to this place where we admit the awful truth that we are sinners and we hear the amazing good news that Jesus forgives our sins. 

            Now, in the world you will encounter those who hate Jesus and hate you because of Jesus.  Jesus teaches,  Luke 6:27–28 (ESV) 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

This is a high and difficult calling.  It is a call to not respond instinctually to insults and hurts, but to respond like Jesus.

            Last week there was a hockey game with the U.S. against Canada.  The Canadian fans booed the playing of the Star Spangled Banner and so when the hockey match began three American players started fights with the Canadians.  “If you boo our national anthem we will make you pay -- with our fists.”  That is, I guess, the way of hockey.  That is the way of the world.  But that is not the way of Jesus. 

We naturally want to be aggressive and decisive and demanding and vengeful, but that is not Jesus’ way.  Jesus’ way is mercy and compassion.  Jesus has great mercy and compassion on you.  You deserve His present and eternal punishment, but He patiently gives you forgiveness -- over and over and over.  He never endorses or encourages sin, but He patiently loves you, forgives you and calls you to follow Him. 

As you deal with those who are in the subset of thinking they are good enough, speak the truth in love.  Don’t pretend that they are not in the set of sinners.  Don’t pretend they really are good enough.  But listen.  Listen to their hurt.  Walk with them in love and compassion.  Be a beacon of hope.  Be the light of the world.  Let the love of Christ shine through you.  And as we learn in…1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) 15 … in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” 

When the time is right, gently tell them that the whole set of sinners faces judgment on the last day, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Let them know there is still time to take shelter in the grace of the Lord Jesus.  Without endorsing sin, have compassion on those struggling with sin because you are a fellow sinner… struggling with sin… and Jesus has compassion on you.  Be patient with those caught up in sin because Jesus is patient with you.  Offer Jesus’ grace and mercy to others even though they don’t deserve it because Jesus gives grace and mercy to you even though you don’t deserve it.  Judge not because you are not the judge.  Condemn not because that is not given to you to do, but share that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. 

Love others with the reckless love of Jesus.  This is radically countercultural, so rebel against culture. Love like Jesus.  Love others like Jesus loves you.  Amen.