Sermon for The Sixth Sunday after Trinity, July 12, 2026.
In our Exodus reading, we heard God’s Commands, His Law.
In the Matthew reading, we heard Jesus amplify that Law:
“You heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matt. 5:21-22)
This is very sobering. What Jesus says means every one of us is going to hell.
What did He say in verse 20?
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
My righteousness doesn’t come close to that of the scribes and Pharisees.
These guys took God’s Law very seriously. They instituted hundreds of religious rules to keep from breaking God’s Commands. Their piety was incredible. I live in modern America. My piety, my religiosity, is trash. And so is yours.
But Jesus isn’t applauding the Pharisees. He’s not saying they’re on track to enter the kingdom of heaven. No. He’s making a point and using those who are known law-keepers, the holier-than-thou Pharisees, as an object lesson.
“Do you see those really religious dudes over there? If they’re not going to be able to earn their way into heaven based on their outward righteousness, what makes you bums think you’re going to be able to earn your way into heaven?”
This is what Jesus is saying. “You heard you’re not supposed to murder, but let me tell you that if you’re angry with your brother in your heart, you’re already guilty of murder.”
He goes on to say a similar thing about committing adultery. You don’t have to have sex outside of marriage to be guilty of adultery. Just looking at someone other than your spouse and thinking sexual thoughts is breaking the sixth commandment.
This is the Law of God. It’s strict. Make no mistake about it. You can’t keep it. And if you think you even come close, take an honest inventory of our culture compared to that of the first-century Pharisees.
The temptations to sin internally, with your heart, because of what you see with your eyes, has increased astronomically.
How many times have you murdered your neighbor in your heart with your anger? According to Jesus, according to our God, we’re mass murderers; we’re filthy fornicators.
And in the same way, we’re guilty of breaking the other Commandments. How can we live in a consumer-driven culture and not covet?
How can we not have a pantheon of idols, despise the Sabbath, and blaspheme our Lord’s name?
Friend, these two readings put us in a bad spot. Dead. Condemned to the hell of fire.
There’s no two ways around it. And so, as we sit with that uncomfortable reality for a second, we don’t just throw up our hands and embrace hedonism; no, we begin to realize just how awesome the Gospel is.
The Law shows us the truth that without Christ, it doesn’t matter how morally pure you appear on the outside; you can’t get into the kingdom of heaven.
Only Jesus is more righteous than the Pharisees and Scribes. That’s the message. Only Jesus has kept God’s Commands perfectly. Not only outwardly, but also internally.
Not once did Jesus sin. Not once. And so, we rejoice to turn our attention to our Romans reading.
And I’m going to back up and read from Romans 5:20, just above where our epistle lesson began.
“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who have died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we could no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 5:2-6:11)
Christian, that pinch that you were in under the Law is solved by the life of Christ. By His living under the Law perfectly, in your place. This included dying for you. Serving His neighbor perfectly, taking your sin upon Himself and being crucified for you as a result.
You are no longer condemned under the strictness of the Law, because you are a recipient of the sweetness of the Gospel.
So, your righteousness doesn’t exceed that of the Pharisees and Scribes. Your Lord’s does. And you’re baptized into Him.
His righteousness is now your righteousness. Your sin has been brought to nothing by the crucifixion of your Lord, Christ Jesus.
You’re not bound for the hell of fire. You know what’s in store for you. You know that you have already entered the kingdom of heaven because Jesus has, and you’re connected to Him. Where He is, you are.
And this, Christian, is why Paul continues in Romans, saying, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:12-14
It is true. And so, we’re right to say… Amen!
Rev. Tyrel Bramwell 
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