Keep listening, keep praying, keep loving

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Quinquagesima

1 Corinthians 13:1-13  +  Luke 18:31-43

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, isn’t there? Even more this week than there was the week before, a lot of unknowns about the present and the future. A lot of things we don’t understand, including things in the Scriptures and things in the Church. When you can’t see the way, when the way appears dark, the Holy Spirit shows us in today’s Epistle and Gospel the simple path forward for the Christian. Keep listening, keep praying, and keep loving.

In our Gospel, Jesus is on the final leg of His journey to Jerusalem for the Passover of Holy Week. He wants His disciples to be prepared for what’s about to happen, and to understand that it all happens according to Scripture and according to the Father’s plan, and that Jesus is willingly following that plan. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that were written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be fulfilled. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon. And they will scourge him and put him to death. And on the third day he will rise again.

Now, this isn’t the first time Jesus has told them about these things. It’s at least the third or fourth time. And yet, Luke emphasizes their failure to understand. They understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not understand the things that were said. They were like blind men. They couldn’t see the way ahead for Jesus or for themselves, even with the most straightforward words of Jesus shining the light on the path. Why? Because it was hidden from them.

It was hidden from them, in part, because they had their own preconceived notions of what the Christ was supposed to do, and no matter what Jesus said, their own beliefs overcame what Jesus said. The Christ was not supposed to suffer. The Christ was not supposed to die. He was supposed to conquer. He was supposed to rule and reign. They didn’t understand that the primary purpose of the Christ was not to make the world a better place, but to make atonement for the sins of mankind through His suffering and death, that we might be reconciled to God through faith in Christ Jesus, for this fleeting life and, more importantly, for the eternal life to come.

But it was also hidden from the disciples because it had to be. Things had to work out a certain way, and so the Holy Spirit chose not to enlighten their minds yet. Not about these things. He kept them believing in Jesus. But He kept them in the dark with regard to the path forward. He allowed them to remain “blind” for the moment. All they could do, as blind men, was keep listening to Jesus, and that they did, even though they didn’t understand.

Then they encountered an actual blind man, who was begging at the entrance of the city of Jericho. Now, since blind people can’t see, what are they usually very good at? They’re good at hearing. They’re good at listening. And this blind man was no different. He listened and heard the commotion surrounding Jesus’ arrival. So he asked what it meant, and he listened to the answer. Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

But this blind man shows that he has been listening to other things, too, because he knows who this Jesus of Nazareth is. He sees better than most of the seeing people who are there. By listening to the report that had been going around about Jesus, the blind man had already come to recognize that Jesus of Nazareth is the “Son of David,” that is, the Messiah, the Christ, the promised Savior. He never saw Jesus in his life. But by listening to the word about Jesus, he was able to see the truth.

What was it the Father said to Peter, James, and John about Jesus up on the Mount of Transfiguration? This is My beloved Son. Hear Him! Listen to Him! Listen! Even when— especially when—you don’t understand where His plan is leading you. And you know where and how to listen. Don’t listen to some little voice inside your heart. Don’t listen to your own reason. Listen to the Word! Read it. Hear it. Ponder it. Set aside time for it. And don’t worry if you don’t understand everything you hear right away. Just learn from the blind man in our Gospel, and keep listening!

But the blind man didn’t only listen. Knowing full well that he was blind and that only Jesus could help, he cried out to him for help. He prayed. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! And he kept praying, even when the people around him told him to be quiet, told him his prayers were wrong, were annoying, were useless. Why did he keep praying and crying out? Because he believed that Jesus would help him to see! He believed that his prayers would be heard. Faith came by hearing.

And Jesus did help him. What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has saved you. Faith is what saves, not sight. Faith in Christ, faith in God who sees clearly all the time, even when we’re entirely blind. Faith cries out to God for help. Faith urges us to pray. To pray for help. To pray for mercy. To pray for sight—at least, as much sight as we need. Many mysteries have been revealed about Christ. Many mysteries remain for the Church, and for your own life as Christians. Many things won’t be revealed until the Last Day. Many things will remain shaded, cloudy, obscure. And that’s okay. Keep listening to God’s Word, and keep praying for sight.

What else? What else would God have you do, even when you can’t see the way ahead? Keep loving.

We learn listening and praying from the blind man in our Gospel. But we learn love from Jesus. The way He stopped and took time for the man in need. The way He spoke kindly to him and helped him gladly. And, of course, we hear from the Apostle Paul in today’s Epistle a beautiful description of what Christian love looks like. Love is patient. It is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not boast. It is not conceited. It does not behave indecently. It does not seek its own. It does not become angry. It does not dwell on evil. It does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Being in the dark about the path ahead, being confused or frustrated doesn’t give you the right to behave badly toward your family, toward your neighbor, toward your fellow Christian. On the contrary, you are called to keep loving at all times, with Christ Jesus Himself as the prime example. In fact, you are called, as Christians, to be characterized by love. Yes, you are to be known in this dark world as people of faith and people of hope. But just as much you are to be known as people of love—the kind of love Paul describes in the Epistle, which will continue into the next life after there is no longer a need for faith or hope. As Paul says, For now we see through a mirror, indirectly; but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part; but then I will know fully, even as I am also fully known. And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So when you can’t see the way, when the way appears dark, or even if the Holy Spirit has granted you insight and understanding, you have the Lord’s direction. Keep listening. Keep praying. And keep loving. And know that, even when you can’t see, the Lord has no trouble at all seeing you. Amen.

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The Lord’s Supper: The worthy recipient

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for the Festival of St. Matthias

Small Catechism Review: The Lord’s Supper, Part 3

We’ve talked about what the Lord’s Supper is: It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. And the benefit? The forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. And who receives the benefit? Whoever believes these words: Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Lastly, we want to consider the question: Who receives this Sacrament worthily? It’s an important question, because St. Paul writes this to the Corinthians: Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. So, Who receives this Sacrament worthily?

Fasting and bodily preparation is certainly a fine outward discipline, but he is truly worthy and well-prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” But whoever does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared. For the words “for you” require nothing but believing hearts.

Fasting and bodily preparation is certainly a fine outward discipline. You need to know why Luther talks about fasting here, and bodily preparation. At times in the Church’s history, people were required to fast before receiving Holy Communion. They were supposed to receive the Lord’s Supper on an empty stomach. If you didn’t, if you ate anything before going to the Sacrament, you were told that you were unworthy and unprepared. The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with fasting before Communion. It can be a “fine outward discipline.” Setting aside some quiet time before the Divine Service begins can also be a helpful form of discipline. Turning off the phones and the screens an hour before church starts (or Bible class) can have a similar effect. It may be a very good idea, even.

But Scripture certainly doesn’t require it for a person to be considered worthy to receive the Sacrament. Manmade rituals and formulas can never become required for any Christian to stand before God as worthy, just as our works can never make us worthy to stand before God. Only faith in Christ and His promise of free forgiveness makes a person worthy to stand before God, and, as Luther rightly says, only “faith in these words: Given and shed for you” makes a person worthy to kneel before the Communion rail to receive the body and blood of the God-Man, Jesus Christ. “For you” Christ came into the world. For you He lived a perfect life. For you He gave His body and shed His blood. For you He has sent forth His ministers into the world, to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins to you, to baptize you, to teach you to observe all things that He has commanded you, including the special Meal of His body and blood. For you He has done all these things. Everyone on earth should believe that, because it’s true for all people.

But not all people do believe it. Some openly reject that Christ has done all these things for them. Such people would never approach the Lord’s Table. Others may not know that Christ has done all these things for them. Such people should not approach the Lord’s Table. Others may know what the Gospel is and may become Christians, but there is such a thing as “unbelieving Christians,” that is, people who are Christians in name only, people who don’t actually trust in Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of sins before God, including Christians who have fallen into mortal sin—that is, sin of which they refuse to repent. None of these should dare to approach the Lord’s Table. Why not? Because these are the ones who are unworthy. As Paul says, “they eat and drink judgment on themselves, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

So, what do we do to be as sure as we can that a person goes to the Sacrament worthily? Well, first, we teach them to examine themselves, as Paul says. “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” Do you know who God is? That’s not a simple question. It involves knowing quite a bit of background from Holy Scripture, where the true God reveals Himself to us. Do you know what God’s Law commands? Do you know and believe that you’re a sinner? Are you sorry, are you penitent for your sins? Do you know who Jesus is and what He’s done for you and what He now promises you and where and how He promises to give it? Do you believe in Him, that His body was given and His blood was shed for you? Do you believe that He is giving you His true body and blood with the bread and wine, making you a partaker in His once-for-all sacrifice for sin?

Those are examples of the questions with which a person should examine himself. Similar questions are found at the end of the catechisms I published a few years ago, prepared by Luther to help Christians examine themselves before going to the Sacrament. To help Christians get to the point that they can ask and answer those questions, we have the Small Catechism itself. And we have catechism class with the pastor, and a Confirmation rite simply to “confirm” that a person has learned enough of the Christian faith to be able to examine him or herself, and to give that person an opportunity to confess that faith before the congregation, as we hope two of our young Christians here will do in just a few short weeks.

What about those who are not members of our congregation, those who might visit our church on a Sunday morning? Are they worthy recipients of the Lord’s Supper? Well, in most cases, we don’t know. If they haven’t been examined in the faith by the pastor, the pastor doesn’t know. If they haven’t made a confession of their faith before the congregation, then the congregation doesn’t know.

In some cases, they may well be worthy recipients of the Lord’s Supper. They may know the true God, and be sorry for their sins, and trust in Jesus’ sacrifice for them, and they may know and believe that Jesus’ true body and blood are given in the Sacrament. A Roman Catholic, for example, may be a worthy recipient of the Lord’s Supper in their church. Or a Lutheran who belongs to a different communion than ours may be a worthy recipient in their church. But that still doesn’t mean they should receive the Lord’s Supper here, together with us, or we in their church together with them. Why not? Because, if they belong to a different church that’s not in fellowship with ours, it’s almost certainly due to a difference in doctrine between our churches, a difference in how we confess the teachings of Christ. There’s almost certainly some doctrine of which their church says, “Christ teaches this!,” and of which we say, “Christ certainly does not teach that!” And so one of us may be right in that confession, and the other is wrong. Now, being wrong in one’s understanding and confession of certain doctrines doesn’t necessarily mean a person is no longer a Christian. It means that, in that place where they’re wrong, in that area where they believe and confess falsely, they are not following Christ. And that’s always dangerous, because all false doctrine is like leaven that eventually leavens the whole lump, as St. Paul says. All false doctrine attacks the very faith that makes a person a worthy recipient of the Lord’s Supper, even if it doesn’t destroy the faith. And so, if we believe we’re right and they’re wrong about some teaching of Christ, then, out of love for Christ, out of love for the truth, out of love for that person, and out of love for the rest of the believers here, we can’t come together visibly as one bread and one body and pretend that this or that area of not following Christ isn’t important enough to have a division over. His Word has to be that which unites us. It has to be the thing over which we will not compromise.

And so, by remaining outwardly divided in our celebration of the Sacrament, by practicing Closed Communion, we issue a simple warning in love, “Attend to those things that we confess differently! Learn what they are! Learn what the Scriptures say about them! And join us in our confession of these things before joining us in the joint confession we make in receiving the Lord’s Supper together.”

There is always more we could say about the Lord’s Supper, just as there’s always more we could say about any of the teachings of Scripture. But let this be enough for now, having reviewed all Six Chief Parts of Luther’s Small Catechism. We won’t leave the Catechism entirely, though. We’re going to spend the Lenten season looking at the Table of Duties at the end of the Catechism. And next week Wednesday, which is sometimes referred to as Ash Wednesday, we’ll consider together those questions that Luther prepared to help Christians examine themselves before going to the Sacrament. May the Lord bless our study of His Word. Amen.

 

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Hear God’s Word and hear it well!

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Sexagesima

2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9  +  Luke 8:4-15

I’m very glad you are all here in church this morning (or tuning in online). You took a very important step, coming to church or listening online, a step toward growing in faith and growing in love, because this is where God’s Word preached, where God the Holy Spirit comes to awaken faith and strengthen faith and empower you to live as Christians in an antichristian world. But you know, I think, that just being here in the place where the Word of God is preached is entirely useless if you’re not actually listening. And if you listen with joy and believe what you hear, but then let pressure from the world keep you from living according to your faith, then listening won’t have helped you, in the end. And if you listen now, but let yourself get distracted by all the things there are to do in the world, so that you don’t put the Word into practice, then being in church and hearing the Word will, likewise, have all been for nothing.

But, if you hear, and listen, and take to heart what you hear, if you hear God’s Word and hear it well, if you dig into God’s Word with roots that run deep, so that you can bear up under the world’s persecutions with patience, if you’re watching out for the distractions and praying for God’s help to keep from being strangled by them, then God’s Word will be fruitful in you and in your life, both for this life and for eternal life. That’s the message in a nutshell of today’s parable of the sower and the seed. Let’s take a closer look at it.

Jesus addresses the parable to the multitudes who had gathered around Him. Some had come, no doubt, out of curiosity. Some had come with malicious intentions. Some had come for healing. Some had come to hear this “good news of the kingdom” that Jesus had been preaching all over Israel. Regardless, Jesus preached the same Word of God to them all. And He has a warning for all of them, too, because simply hearing His words that day would benefit them nothing if they didn’t take this warning to heart.

So He tells them the parable of the sower who went out to sow his seed, and it fell on four different kinds of ground: Along the hardened path, where it doesn’t sprout at all, because it’s trampled or snatched away by birds. On the rocky soil, where it sprouts quickly, but is quickly scorched by the heat and withers, because it has only shallow roots. Among the thorns, where the seed takes root, but is choked by the surrounding weeds. And on the good ground, where it sprouts, grows, and flourishes.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

And yet, not even Jesus’ own disciples understood what the parable meant. That was intentional on Jesus’ part. As He says, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. The truth was laid out for the crowds, but they couldn’t see it. Why? Because only the Holy Spirit can truly open a person’s eyes to see and ears to hear the truth of God’s Word. This truth of the sower and the seed was hidden from the multitudes for the time being, although anyone who cared to know could have asked Jesus about it, as His disciples did. And later, anyone who was willing to listen could listen to the apostles explain the parable, as Jesus explained it to them, even as we’re doing here today.

The seed is the Word of God as it’s preached. So we’re not talking about all those people out there, who never even hear the Word of God. We’re talking about people who have heard the Word of God, the Law and the Gospel. We’re talking about people in here, people who sit in pews and chairs in church or who listen to the Word at home, if they can’t make it to church.

Sometimes the Word falls on hard ground. The ground may be hard because people aren’t really listening. Or, just as commonly, it may be hard because people often come with their own preconceived notions about God, about the truth. They may have hardened their hearts with their own sin, so that the Word of God doesn’t penetrate at all through their own stubbornness and willfulness. They come with their own agenda, to defend themselves or to puff themselves up rather than to allow the word of God to expose their sin. They come with confidence in their own works, so that the word of God about the far superior works of Christ is snatched away by the devil.

Sometimes the Word falls on rocky ground, with enough good soil on top for the seed to take root, but not enough to for it to send down roots to capture the much-needed moisture. Some people do receive the Gospel of Christ gladly. They worship Jesus as their Lord with excitement. But for them, it remains superficial. They don’t dig into God’s Word. These are the people who don’t think that “doctrine” matters or that creeds are important. Just some sort of “relationship with Jesus.” But as the Lord Jesus warns, the only way for faith to survive all the hardships and persecutions that go along with being a Christian is for that initial faith to grow. Christians have to become firmly grounded in God’s Word, hear it often, ponder it, study it, and pray for the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment. Otherwise, when they’re attacked for their beliefs, when they’re attacked for being Christians, they’ll shrivel up like a plant without roots in the desert heat.

Sometimes the Word falls among thorns, among weeds. It sprouts. People believe the Word. But, you know, there’s stuff on TV or stuff on the screen, there are jobs and chores that require our attention. There are books to read, and tests to study for. There’s money to make and to invest and to save and to spend. There are friends to hang out with and families to spend time with. And the Word of God and the Christian faith and Christ Himself become just one small part of person’s life. But the Christian faith doesn’t work that way, doesn’t survive that way. If Christ and His Word become just one small part of your life, capturing just one small part of your heart, faith won’t thrive. It won’t even survive.

But then, sometimes, the Word when it’s preached falls on good ground, good soil. People hear it and listen. They listen as the Law of God convicts them of sin, without allowing any of their excuses to stand. They listen as the Gospel is preached, that Christ suffered and died for their sins and now calls them to repent and believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Then they ponder what they’ve heard. They go back again and again and listen. They don’t always understand everything they hear (just as Jesus’ disciples didn’t), but they keep listening anyway, trusting that their God will reveal everything in due time. They seek to put God’s Word into practice in their lives. They live in daily contrition and repentance. They pray that their hearts may not become hardened by sin or unbelief. They pray for God’s help to overcome the hardships that go alone with being a faithful Christian, the false accusations, the ridicule, the mockery, even the torture. They’re careful not to let distractions crowd out the word of God from their lives, but to order their lives around hearing God’s Word and putting it into practice, to live in faith and in love. In short, they remain planted in Christ Himself, and so they bear much fruit, with which God the Father is truly pleased.

God has already granted you ears to hear. May His Holy Spirit now work mightily through what you have heard, to preserve you in the faith and to cultivate both faith and love in your heart, that the Father may be glorified, and that you may be true disciples of Christ. Amen.

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The Lord’s Supper: The benefit and who receives the benefit

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Midweek of Septuagesima

Small Catechism Review: The Lord’s Supper, part 2

Last week we considered very simply what the Lord’s Supper is. It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. It is bread and wine. And it is the body and blood of Christ. Bread, wine, body, and blood are all really present in the use of the Sacrament.

We should say a word about what the “use” is. It includes everything from the consecration—when the minister takes bread and wine and blesses them, according to the Lord’s command—to the distribution to the communicants, to the reception (the eating and the drinking) by the communicants. Throughout the use of the Sacrament, as instituted by Christ, it is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine. Anyone who receives it receives, orally, bread, wine, and the Lord’s true body and blood. Apart from the use of the Sacrament, there is no Sacrament. It’s just bread and wine.

Knowing what the Sacrament is is essential. But so is knowing what it’s for—what benefit it gives and who receives the benefit. So our Catechism asks and answers those questions:

What is the benefit of this eating and drinking?

That is shown us by these words: “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins,” namely, that in the Sacrament, forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there are also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

Clearly it is not the eating and drinking that does it, but the words that are there: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words accompany the bodily eating and drinking as the chief part in the Sacrament, and whoever believes these words has what they say and as they declare, namely, forgiveness of sins.

In the Old Testament, the body and blood of an animal sacrifice would make atonement for the sins of the Israelites, and those who brought the sacrifice would receive forgiveness from the priest who offered it. The forgiveness of sins was always the purpose for which sacrifices were brought.

But as the writer to the Hebrews says, it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Those animal bodies and their blood were shadows of the real thing, the body and blood of Christ, true God and true Man, given and shed once for all to make atonement, that is, to earn forgiveness for all sins. The forgiveness of sins—of all sins, of the sins of all people—was earned, once for all, through the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ on the cross. No other atonement can be made. No other price can be paid to earn God’s favor. That was it. That was the one. And it was perfect.

And just as those who brought sacrifices in the Old Testament often participated in them—either by eating the sacrificed food or by being sprinkled with the sacrificed blood, so those who come to the Lord’s Table participate in His sacrifice by eating and drinking it, so that we receive, again and again, the forgiveness that was earned at the cross.

When I say that “we” receive that forgiveness, I mean, as the Catechism says, all those communicants who “believe these words.” All communicants, even people who might inwardly be unbelieving and impenitent, receive the body and blood of Christ if they come to the Lord’s Table. But only believers receive the forgiveness of sins. As always, we are justified by faith, forgiven through faith, made acceptable to God by faith alone in Christ alone and in His promises given to us in Holy Scripture, not because faith is such a great work, but because faith lays hold of Christ. Here in the Sacrament of the Altar, faith specifically lays hold of Christ’s promise to give us the forgiveness of sins by giving us the body and the blood that were sacrificed to earn that very forgiveness.

Is the forgiveness we receive in the Lord’s Supper different from the forgiveness we receive in Holy Baptism or in the absolution or in the Gospel in general? No, the forgiveness is the same. But just as doctor might prescribe three different medications that work well together in order to  make you healthy and keep you healthy, so the Lord has prescribed preaching, and Holy Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper to work well together for the spiritual health of the Christian, to strengthen faith, to firm up our resolve to walk according to the Spirit, and to give us a special, unique way to experience this communion with the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Cherish it, both for what it is and for the benefits it gives! Amen.

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Cherish God’s grace. Don’t despise it.

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Rev. Paul Rydecki
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Sermon for Septuagesima

1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5  +  Matthew 20:1-16

Our religion is not a theoretical thing. To practice our religion, to be a Christian, is not about theoretically holding to certain doctrines or reciting certain words or going through certain motions on Sunday morning. Our religion is about knowing and cherishing the grace of our God and the forgiveness of sins that is ours in Christ, and then, as those who cherish God’s grace, devoting ourselves to showing that kind of grace to others. Now, cherishing God’s grace doesn’t mean His commandments have become irrelevant, or that sin is acceptable, or that good works aren’t necessary. But in today’s parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus shows us what it looks like to cherish His grace and what it looks like to despise it. Those who cherish God’s goodness and grace will remain in His vineyard, experiencing His goodness forever. Those who despise His grace will be cast out, regardless of how hard they’ve worked.

It’s Holy Week. Jesus has been upbraiding the Jews for their unbelief, and He’ll have much more to say before the week is done, demonstrating how they were given everything by God, and yet, when their God came to dwell with them in their midst, they didn’t recognize Him. They didn’t want a God like that. Then, one chapter before our Gospel begins, Jesus had an interesting exchange with a rich young Jewish ruler, the one who came up to Jesus entirely earnest, Good teacher, what good thing must I do to be saved? You remember what Jesus told Him? Basically, keep the commandments. And he said, I have kept them all! So Jesus told him to go sell all that he had and follow Jesus, and he would have treasure in heaven. And at that, the rich man walked away sad, because he wanted heaven, but he didn’t want heaven enough to give away his riches. Then, what prompted the telling of the parable of the workers, Jesus’ disciples pointed out to Him how they had left everything in order to follow Him, and He promised them that everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first. There’s grace there, but there’s also a warning. When you start to focus on how much you’ve given up for Jesus, how much you’ve left, how hard you’ve worked—especially compared to other people, how little they seem to have given up, how little they seem to have worked—be very careful to remember that heaven is a gift of God’s goodness and grace, earned for you entirely by Christ. It’s not a reward for hard work or suffering. You’re still sinners who deserve only God’s wrath and punishment, and yet He doesn’t want to punish sinners. He wants to save them, at great cost to Himself, and to give them eternal life as a gift. So cherish His grace, and don’t despise it, thinking you’ve earned God’s acceptance or God’s heavenly blessings by how hard you’ve worked.

To illustrate that point, Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. The owner, the master of the house, went out early in the day to find workers for His vineyard. He found some men standing in the marketplace and hired them, agreeing with them that he would pay them one denarius for the day’s work.

That’s like how God went out early to the Jewish people, at the time of Moses, and made a covenant with them to be their God and to give them the land of Israel, if they would live under the Law God gave to Moses and obey it. It’s also like how the Lord has called many Christians to do much and to suffer much for the sake of His kingdom, and we all agree, at the beginning, that heaven is worth any amount of sacrifice and suffering here.

Then the owner of the vineyard goes out a few hours later, still looking for workers, and he finds some and simply agrees to pay them “whatever is right.” And they go. No wage is set. No covenant is made based on a certain amount of work the workers must do. They’re left having to trust the master’s honesty, his righteousness, and his goodness. The same thing happens a few hours later, and a few hours later, and then a couple hours later, only one hour before quitting time. In each case, the owner agrees to give the workers what is right at the end of the day, and in each case, they are happy with that arrangement and go eagerly into his vineyard.

This is like how, when the Lord began His earthly ministry, He went out into the land of Israel and called thieves and swindlers, prostitutes and adulterers, people who had lived their whole lives as members of the Church of Israel, but who had never embraced the grace and love of God, who had lived openly contrary to His commandments, who hadn’t been “working in His vineyard” at all. And He called them by grace to repent and believe in Him, and when they did, He sent them into His kingdom to work, not as slaves, but as sons and daughters of God.

It’s also like how the Lord called the Gentiles into His kingdom. They had lived separated from God, each one going his own way, following his own path, his own religion, until the Lord called them through the Gospel to know the only true God, to repent and believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. He promised to give them “whatever is right,” not based on the works they had done, but on His own goodness and mercy and faithfulness and righteousness. This is how the Lord has called everyone in the New Testament era. Some have labored more than others and suffered more than others and given up more than others, depending on when they were called and the circumstances of their calling. But all are called simply to trust in the goodness and righteousness of the God who called them, to do whatever work He lays out for them in His kingdom, and they all gladly go.

But what happens at the end of the day? The lord of the vineyard wants the first workers to be paid last. He wants the last workers hired to be paid first. So those who worked only one hour received a full denarius, and those who worked three hours received a denarius, and those who worked six hours and nine hours received a denarius. Imagine how happy they were, to receive a full day’s wages for less than a full day’s work. Imagine how appreciative of the goodness and generosity of the landowner.

Finally, the first workers stepped forward, the ones who had worked, if not the hardest, then at least the longest, thinking they would receive more, because they thought they deserved more. But each received the same as all the rest: the one denarius that they had been promised and that they had agreed to at the beginning of the day. And they grumbled and complained and were bitter and angry at the landowner, who then reminded them that they got exactly what they were promised, and that he had the right to do as he pleased with his money. He showed grace, he showed goodness, he showed favor to those other workers, and that’s really what bothered the first workers. They were jealous—jealous that, at the end of the day, the lord of vineyard handed out rewards based, not on works, but on grace, and that meant that all their hard work hadn’t earned them a penny. By grace those other workers had been rewarded, through faith in the goodness of the lord—not by works, so that no one could boast.

Hopefully that brought to mind the Bible verses from Ephesians 2: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest anyone should boast. Now, that one verse, that one statement is cherished by some, and despised by others. It’s cherished by those who recognize that their works fall short of the glory of God. It’s cherished by those who know their sins, and the weight of their guilt has pressed heavy on them. It’s cherished by those who admit the truth: that they don’t deserve anything from God but wrath and punishment. And yet, God came along and gave His Son to be our Savior, to do all the work, all day long, that would serve as a valid substitute for our works. God gave His Son into death to pay for our sins, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, not by being righteous ourselves, but by God counting the righteousness of Christ to us through faith.

That same truth is despised by those who refuse to admit their sins and their utter inability to help themselves, who think they’ve done such good things for God, when, in reality, God views it all as filth if it was done apart from faith in His beloved Son. The truth of grace is despised by those who love their sins, too, because God’s grace isn’t given to those who view themselves as their own God, walking and living according to their own sinful desires. It’s given instead to those who look to Him as their God in humility and repentance. The truth of salvation by grace alone is despised by those who want grace for themselves but bitterly deny it to others. Such people who never learn to cherish the grace of God will hear that awful sentence from Him on the last day: Take what is yours and go. Because what is yours is imperfection, love of self and self-righteousness. What is yours is sin. But what is Christ’s—that is perfection, that is perfect love for God and man. His work is yours, if you want it. God’s grace is yours for the enjoying, if you will cherish it. Cherish God’s grace, and don’t despise it. And practice your religion accordingly. Amen.

 

 

 

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