A Matter of the Heart

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5: 20

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and whatever it means to you, whether it's filling out little cards for your classmates, or giving a gift to someone special, it gives us the perfect opportunity to think about what is in our hearts.

In a way, it's funny that we still talk about feelings and thoughts coming from our hearts. After all, we know that our hearts really just pump blood. The brain is the organ that generates thoughts and feelings and determines our personality. Knowing this, we still talk about that deepest part of ourselves as the heart. I doubt anyone would be too impressed if you told them, "I love you with all of my brain."

The heart—that deepest part of you— plays an extremely important role in your relationship with God. In fact, I think you could go so far as to say that when it comes to a relationship with God, what goes on in your heart is everything. That is the point our Lord Jesus was trying to make in today's Gospel lesson. He was speaking to people who felt a right relationship with God was a matter of following—and finding exceptions to—the rules. What Jesus wanted them to know, and what He wants us to know, too, is that true "right-ness" with God is in the heart.

Not too long ago, Fort Wayne, Indiana was the setting for an ugly incident. Three burglars broke into a house. As they were doing their dirty work, a man off the street came to respond. He pulled a knife and stabbed one of the intruders to death. The two others fled. Several days later, the newspaper reported that the death of the burglar had been ruled a homicide, and had been ruled not illegal. Did you know that was possible? Technically, "homicide" only means that one person has killed another, not that the one doing the killing has committed a crime, which means homicide is not necessarily breaking the law.

In Jesus' day, the scribes and Pharisees, by being very technical, were calling some things right that were wrong, and some things wrong that were right. Murder, as in actually killing someone, was wrong, but being angry with or insulting to another person—which can almost be a type of homicide—was quite justifiable. Technically speaking, divorce was okay if you handled it just right—legally. So was breaking certain oaths, but not others. In other words, you didn't always have to keep a promise.

The scribes and Pharisees were missing the point of God's law—and maybe we do, too. God didn't give us rules to see how much we can get away with and still be "legal." I think that's so important I'm going to say it again. God didn't give us rules to see how much we can get away with and still be "legal." God gave us rules and standards as a way of humbling us. Even the smallest sin proves our hearts aren't pure, and Jesus demands a pure heart. We cannot help but break God's law, and that's the point. We break God's laws without even trying, and deserve the punishment that comes as a consequence. When that is clearly established, then, and only then, are we ready for good news. And this is it: Jesus took your sentence. He was punished instead of you. In God's court, you have been declared "not guilty." We cannot "try harder" to purify ourselves, but Jesus can give us a pure heart. He purifies our hearts with his blood.

The physical heart is an extremely important organ, pumping life-giving blood through the body. The blood of Jesus flowing through your spiritual heart makes you right with God. That blood was shed on the cross. More precious than gold or silver, it was the ransom money that rescued us. That blood is offered to God's people every time we gather at the altar for Holy Communion. Your sins and mine—big outward ones and ones we hide in our hearts—are all washed away. Jesus' blood has paid for every murder and every harsh word; every affair and every secret fantasy; every betrayal and broken promise; they're all drowned in the blood of Christ. There is no question about it—those sins are dead and gone and forgiveness is yours.

Christ's blood gets our hearts pumping. It resuscitates us. It makes us alive when we were dead! It gives life that physical death can never touch! Along with these priceless gifts, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. It is not by accident that we often sing together, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me..."When you sing that song and pray that prayer in sincerity, you can trust that God will be faithful and will create a clean heart in you; he will renew a right Spirit in you by giving you His Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit is, there is purity and newness. The Spirit makes a home in your heart. He takes up residency there, moving in right next door to your old heart. That can cause some friction sometimes, as the Spirit battles against our stubborn sinfulness, but that friction is not a bad thing. Don't be afraid of that internal struggle. It is actually a sign that the Holy Spirit is alive and kicking, prevailing against our "me-first" default setting.

The new heart created by the Spirit really does love my neighbor; it really does honor my spouse; it really does treat others with honesty and integrity. The new heart created by the Spirit loves to do the right thing for the right reason. Let the blood of Jesus and His Holy Spirit build this new heart in you. Amen.