Sermon for 1-28-24
Matthew 20: 1-11
Septuagesima: 2024
I.N.I.
The lesson in front of us this day is more easily understood by placing it into the context of the question of the apostle Peter in the previous chapter: “Look! We gave up everything and followed you. So what will we get out of it?”
The question of Peter is a most dangerous question. As long as he and the other disciples took the position of demanding some special reward for their faithfulness, they had already left the sphere of grace and entered on the field of salvation by works.
The parable now follows upon this answer of Jesus to Peter. Interestingly, the parable is sandwiched in between this axiom: “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Given this axiom, we attune our ears to the theme of Septuagesima:
PURELY BY GRACE.
- What is right?
- The first and the last.
WHAT IS RIGHT?
Peter’s question, although logical according to human thinking and practice is dangerous, most dangerous in the spiritual sphere. It is dangerous because it was a question that struck at the very heart and core of Jesus Christ crucified. In essence, Peter, challenging Jesus on behalf of the other disciples complained, “What’s in it for us.”
In Peter, we see the darkness of sin which resides so completely in each of us and holds each of us in bondage. Peter was complaining about God’s method of salvation. He is not alone. Many people have accused God of being “unfair” because many do not believe, or do not get to hear about Jesus. But the question is “What is right” according to God’s economy? The parable answers this.
The “landowner” is obviously God while the “wage” is forgiveness and the subsequent life eternal with Jesus. To the very first laborers, the landowner and the laborers agreed to one day’s wages. To those he hired at about 9 am, He told each of them, “I shall pay you whatever is right.”
This is really the crux of the whole parable. What is the definition of “Whatever is right?” The answer comes in the evening, “Each received a denarius,” or one full day’s wage. The landowner chose to pay everyone the same regardless of time served in the vineyard.
Now, the challenge for you. If we transfer this to the kingdom of God, and ask “What is right?” What answer would you give? The right answer is hell. If the wages of sin is death, as Paul says in Romans 6:23, and if we have all sinned, then the “right” thing is that we all be in hell. It is this “right thing” that grates on so many in our world today and why they condemn Christianity as a religion of intolerance, or simply waves their hand and says “Everyone goes to heaven.”
Unfortunately, we all have a spiritual disease called the opinio legis, the idea that man can save himself by keeping the law of God. This disease causes us to break out in anger and repulsion at the thought that we just might be equally deserving of hell as much as the murderer, the thief, the child molester and the homosexual.
Our Old Adam, or perhaps in this case the Old St. Peter, reacts with the arrogant complaint, “We gave up everything and followed You. So what will we get out of it.” Or perhaps to put it in more modern terms,
- “We come to church each week!
- I contribute very well to the work of this congregation.
- We do pretty well in keeping God’s commands!
- We don’t rape and pillage and burn!
- We don’t murder and steal!
- We don’t have abortions like those other people!
- And praise God we are not like those sleazy LGBTQ people! Should we not receive at the very least honorable mention?
The answer to that are the words of Jesus, “So you too, when you have done all you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are slaves who can claim no credit. We have only done our duty.” God does not recommend a “meritorious mast” or commission medals of honor. Instead, we need to face the challenge of the precise letter of God’s commands.
- Have we managed to eradicate all sin from every corner of our lives?
- Is every hint of lust, envy, greed, malice, revenge, slander, anger, impurity finally and completely absent from our hearts?
- Must we not say with Luther, “Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner!” Must we not hang our heads and say, “By all rights, I belong in hell.”
But praise our God and Savior, in the Kingdom of God, “What is right” is based not on your merit, but on the merit of Jesus Christ. The “days wages” that God gives us for our “service” as it is connected with our faith in Him is the full forgiveness of sins. In the words of the landowner, Jesus says, “Don’t I have the right to do as I please with what is mine?”
Forgiveness is not a product on the open market subject to the ups and downs of the stock market which can be bought and sold at a whim depending on how much “goodness” we have shown in our lives.
Forgiveness has been rightly earned by our Savior who gives it freely and generously as the landowner who said, “Or are you critical of me because I am generous.” Here is what that means for you:
- Jesus kept the Law, for you!
- Jesus bore the stripes and agony of hell, for you.
- Jesus spilled the blood of hell’s torture, for you.
- And yet, He graciously and freely has given the fruits of His labors to sinners like you and me.
In our lesson, Jesus speaks of the landowner going to the marketplace five times during the course of the work day. The last time was at the “eleventh hour,” or just one hour before quitting time. Yet, each received the same wage. If God would be fair, at no time should anyone be forgiven. Yet, God keeps calling sinners like us through His word and Sacraments even as He does this day and this hour and today may be our eleventh hour.
Praise God, most of us did not have to wait around until the eleventh hour, but received our “days’ wage” in Holy Baptism where God showered on us ALL of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. But, no matter what time in life the Holy Spirit brings us to faith, we receive the full grace of God. “I shall pay you whatever is right,” is precious Gospel.
Covered in the blood of Christ through Holy Baptism, “whatever is right” is eternal life with Jesus. The devil and your conscience will rage and fight against this notion for the rest of your life. But God has taken His stand, “I shall pay you whatever is right.”
THE FIRST AND THE LAST
Jesus begins and closes this parable with the spiritual axiom, “The last will be first and the first last.” This is a direct challenge to what we might call “spiritual jealousy.” Spiritual jealousy actually ends up being envy directed toward or perhaps against God.
Someone among us might protest, “But I don’t begrudge people coming to faith after me.” When you and I hold back forgiveness, we display a spiritual jealousy. “God gave forgiveness to me, but I am not going to give forgiveness to you!”
Whenever we seek revenge or want to get even, in effect we place ourselves in the front of the line of God’s grace but don’t permit anyone else to “cut in line.” Oh, how desperately wicked the heart really is. To you and me, God should say “You who were first shall now be last.” The “last” means hell.
However, there should be plenty of joy in heaven among the angels here this day, for I don’t think any of us would say “I do not need to repent.” We are all desperately guilty. Yet, God still calls you this day to taste of His grace. He still calls you to His table, not merely to give you a day’s pay, but the “wages” of eternal life. Yes, “wages.”
The forgiveness of sins required much blood, sweat and tears. Forgiveness is earned. But not by sinners. It was earned by Jesus Christ crucified. It was earned because Jesus sacrificed His very own body and blood on the altar of the cross in your stead. That body and blood is yours in the most Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus.
In this Supper, He reassures us who should be last, that we are the first. So, come at your Savior’s invitation to the feast of His body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. He does not invite you here to condemn you, but to forgive you. He wants you, the sinner, to know what heaven is really like by giving us a little taste of it here and now in this life. And it is all by God’s grace alone. Go in peace. You are covered by the merit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
SOLI DEO GLORIA