Reformation Reality—Old and New – Grace Alone
You probably have seen the four letters—BOGO. It may have been at a retail store referring to t-shirts or tennis shoes when you were at the mall. I have spotted them at a gas station relating to candy bars or slim jims when I was in line. (You can perhaps guess which one grabs my attention faster.) It stands for “buy one get one (add the word ‘free’).” [Apparently we can’t handle five letters.] I don’t want to scream false advertising, but is the second one really free? You had to pay for one to get another one. Free?
Do we really understand free?
And then God comes along with his grace. It is important that we understand what that is exactly. It means …
To show someone an undeserved favor like shoveling your neighbor’s driveway in winter when he blew all of his leaves in your lawn in fall.
To give someone an undeserved gift like if you give your wife a present today and her birthday isn’t until the end of the month.
Maybe “undeserved kindness” covers both of those thoughts. That is God’s grace. And it is unmerited, unearned—actually the opposite of what we deserve. And yet he offers it to us. Free.
That is because of who he is. And he tells us as much like if I were to ask you to describe yourself—what you were like. It could be: “I am tall.” Or “I am friendly.” [That is not autobiographical.]
Moses was to present himself before God on Mt. Sinai with two new stone tablets. Recall how he had smashed and shattered the ones when he descended the mountain the first time. The children of Israel were dancing and prancing around the Gold Calf in worship. Now the Lord was going to write again on the fresh tablets the words of the Ten Commandments. He was also going to reestablish the covenant that Israel had broken. He would still be their God and they his people.
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “‘The LORD, the LORD’” (Ex 34:6,7). Martin Luther once labeled these words “the sermon on the name of the Lord.” That is a special name, his personal and proper name—to bless us and save us (Nu 6:22-27; Acts 4:12). And it has great significance. He is ageless and timeless and changeless (Ex 3:14)—not merciful one day and mad the next, not kind one month and cruel the next.
And his name is more than just some sounds and syllables. The LORD is:
“the compassionate … God” (Ex 34:6). This is a deep love based on and rooted in a natural relationship like between a mother and her son. God has made us his children. And that is what we are (1 Jn 3:1).
“the … gracious God” (Ex 34:6). There it is—gracious. God’s love is free—for nothing. We delight in it and enjoy it.
“slow to anger” (Ex 34:6). We don’t have to guess when someone is irate. Nostrils flare. Veins pop. But the Lord is patient even though he has every right to be upset with sinners. The picture is that God’s nose doesn’t get red. It doesn’t burn up right away. He wants all to repent—turning from sin and turning to the Savior (2 Pe 3;9).
“abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). On a scale of 1-10, his love, his mercy, is an 11+. And he is reliable and dependable. And that will not ever stop or cease.
A self-description would also include what you do. For me, it would be “I am a pastor, preaching and teaching. ” As the Lord, he continues:
“maintaining love to thousands” (Ex 34:7). Like an ancient watchman on a city wall, God constantly keeps that mercy and love to a huge number, 1000s—not numerically, but figuratively. We would say billions just like a particular fast food restaurant claims that it serves. It goes beyond counting. And it goes on and on and on—all the way to us and for us.
“forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Ex 34:7). He lifts up all that is crooked, twisted, and bent and which brings guilt. He takes away all the times that we have willfully rebelled and wrongfully revolted against God, breaking our association with him. He carries off all that misses the mark.
Luther once put it this way: “Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free and will be saved. Now choose what you want. According to law and justice, your sins should no doubt remain on you, but grace has cast them upon Christ, the Lamb of God. If God had it in mind to deal with us on other terms, we would be done for” (Sermon on Nov. 3, 1539, on John 1:29).
That is the LORD—who he is and what he does.
The apostle Paul picks up the point of grace too. Really he highlights two things before that:
God’s profound love with which he loved us: “because of his great love for us” (Eph 2:4)—Jew, Gentile, Paul, us (Jn 3:16). God operates in the best interest of the individual loved. His love is active and effective, one-way and one-sided. He is love (1 Jn 4:8).
God’s ongoing mercy: “who is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). He has mercy in abundance like a millionaire has loads of dollar bills. Mercy is an attitude in the mind and heart of God that moves him to take pity on us when he sees our lost condition. Think of what goes through your head when you see the suffering brought about by the recent hurricanes. And you may have sent in some money for aid, showing concern for those in need, attempting to relieve the person and remove the problem.
And then there is God’s grace. “God … made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4,5). He took those dead in sins [That is an accurate portrayal—unable to respond to anything or reply to anyone like a corpse in a coffin. And not half-dead or sort of sick—dead.] (Eph 2:1)—because of all the times that we have stumbled like a circus performer falling from a tightrope above—and gave us life together with Christ. Once spiritually dead, now spiritually alive—creating faith, giving life.
What was the means? Grace. By grace he saved us. He rescued us from an impossible situation like a hotshot firefighter snatches you out of a ring of fire as you are coughing from the smoke and collapsing to the ground in the woods—no hope whatsoever of getting out alive. And he restores you to safety. God does it all, no help or hand from us. “It is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:5).
That is the Reformation Reality that we celebrate—grace alone saves. Happy Reformation.
Exodus 34:6,7
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Ephesians 2:4,5
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
Reformation Reality—Old and New – Faith Alone
Finish the sentence: It is easy to have confidence in someone when … Maybe it is too simple to state: It is easy to have confidence in someone when he or she is trustworthy. It is right in the word—worthy of trust. Then we put our confidence in or our faith in that one (He 11:1).
That is what the Lord trained Abram to do. He had just freed his nephew Lot who had been captured by a coalition of 4 kings. God came to Abram to bolster his trust in him. In a vision, the Lord reassured and reminded him: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield [that is, your source of protection], your very great reward [that is, your source of blessing]” (Ge 15:1).
But there was something bothering Abram. He had no son. And therefore no Savior. The Messiah was to come from him. Abram was going to take matters into his own hands. He would adopt Eliezer, his servant, as his heir. God’s reply in a word was: “No.” He took Abram outside and told him to count the stars—if he could. That is how many offspring he would have.
Abram’s response: “Abram believed the LORD” (Ge 15:6). God caused Abram to be sure and certain that if God said so, it would be so. In a sense, Abram said “amen.” That is because of the object of his faith—the LORD—was unfailing. And that even if and when his wife was beyond childbearing years (Ro 4:19-21). If God can fill the sky with stars, he can fill a womb with a child.
“He [the LORD] credited it to him [to Abram] as righteousness” (Ge 15:6). God considered him right with him—in line with a standard, blameless. And it wasn’t because of what Abram had done, but what Abram’s descendant would do. The Lord credited Jesus’ righteousness to him like a teller deposits a check in your account. In the words of Luther: “Lord Jesus, I am your sin, you are my righteousness. I made you what you were not and you made me what I was not.”
The apostle Paul has that incident in mind when he writes to the Christians in Rome. The Jews held their forefather in pretty high regard (Ro 4:1). So do we. He is “the father of all who believe” (Ro 4:11; cf. 16). And that faith is what Paul zeroes in on as he puts Abraham on the stand like a lawyer does with a witness. “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?” (Ro 4:1).
What about Abraham? How did God declare him “not guilty?” By the many good things he had done? And the list is lengthy. Like leaving his homeland and moving to where God would show him. Like being willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God” (Ro 4:2).
No. The Bible gives the answer. “What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’” (Ro 4:3). That is accountant lingo. God entered in his balance sheet, “free of any and every charge.” That is what God does for us as he takes us into a courtroom. He acquits us. Faith grabs ahold of that and accepts it as true. It is the instrument that receives Jesus’ righteousness. Not what I do for God, but what God does for me in Jesus. Luther once commented: “We define a Christian as follows: A Christian is not someone who has no sin or feels no sin; he is someone to whom, because of his faith in Christ, God does not impute his sin” (AE 26:133).
Paul takes us to the workplace to illustrate that. “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation” (Ro 4:4). When I was younger, the neighbor paid me to mow his lawn. When I was done, he didn’t hand me a 5 dollar bill (I don’t know what that would translate into today with the rate of inflation) and contend, “Here is a little gift for you.” No with my sweating and straining, I gained that. And he owed that to me. Now if my brother who sat in the house, lounging on the couch and sipping lemonade, was handed a five spot, that would be a gift.
“However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Ro 4:5). Each one of us doesn’t give to God to get from God. He gives and we get. He frees us of our sin. And note what Paul labels us—“the wicked” (Ro 4:5)—those who would rather spit in God’s face than stand by his side, no reverence of him or respect for him. Those are the ones God “credits as righteousness.” To the believer. To us. Faith accepts that righteousness that is already there like a gift placed in our hands. We right with God. Faith says “Amen” with Abraham.
That is the Reformation Reality that we celebrate—faith alone believes. Happy Reformation.
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Romans 4:1-5
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Reformation Reality—Old and New – Scripture Alone
Note the significance of each sentence:
1) A man just has to be good with his word. We can lament that the days of your word and handshake were good enough to seal the deal are long gone. But it is still the case. Your word is all that you have.
2) A man can’t just be good with words. There has to be follow though. Otherwise, they are just words. Words are just not enough.
I guess that we could summarize that with the cliché: “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” A promise made is to be a promise kept. That is how the Lord operates. Always.
There was the time when King David had a great and grandiose plan. He was living in a beautiful, cedar palace. And the temple was still a tent (2 Sa 7:1). He decided to remedy that by constructing a house for the Lord. The prophet Nathan agreed until that night when the Lord announced: “David is not going to build me a house—a physical structure. I will build his house—a Messianic dynasty.” Jesus would come from him.
When David heard that, he poured out his heart in prayer. One of his statements was: “And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised” (2 Sa 7:25). To paraphrase: “Cause it to happen, Lord—this thing that you have spoken. Accomplish it. Fulfill it.”
And the Lord did. God says what he does and does what he says. That is what the angel Gabriel assured Mary when he asserted that she was going to be a virgin mother: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Lk 1:32,33). Christmas is right around the corner when we will commemorate that again.
Those two disciples on Easter Sunday afternoon were grappling with the events the last few days. They were discussing them when that unknown visitor merged onto the walkway like we do on the freeway. That is when Jesus, the Risen Savior, gave that gentle rebuke and giant reminder: “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and enter his glory?” (Lk 24:26). Yes. Yes, he did. There was that divine necessity—suffering and death, but victory and glory. And he did. Christmas and Easter go hand in hand.
But Jesus didn’t stop there: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27). Jesus interpreted the Old Testament for them like someone translates Luther’s German into English since it is not our first language.
We can bemoan the fact that Jesus didn’t leave us a written handout, a printed outline, or a flashy PowerPoint. While that might be nice, we can get our noses in the Old Testament for the things about Jesus. We can search the Scriptures because they testify of him and give eternal life (Jn 5:39; 20:31).
It was Moses who recorded that first gospel promise: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Ge 3:15). And there on the cross of Calvary, Jesus cries: “It is finished” (Jn 19:30).
Moses predicted the Prophet who would come and who would be like Moses (Dt 18:15). And it was Philip who proclaimed to Nathaniel: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (Jn 1:45).
Speaking of the prophets.
Micah foretold of Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace (Mi 5:2; Luke 2:1ff.). The angels burst out into song the night by that little town.
Zechariah has Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech 9:9; Mt 21:5). There is Palm Sunday.
Isaiah almost camps under the cross as if he reports right under it as he describes the details that Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities—all to bring us peace (Is 53:5; Gospel accounts).
Jeremiah was right when he relates that he will be called “The LORD Our Righteousness” (Je 23:6; 2 Co 5:21).
It is these Scriptures alone, and many more, that make us wise for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus (2 Ti 3:15). We hold on to them as tightly as Martin Luther as he stood before the Diet of Worms and utter that famous speech: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. [Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.] God help me. Amen (Diet of Worms).
That is the Reformation Reality that we celebrate—Scripture alone reveals. Happy Reformation.
2 Samuel 7:25
“And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised.”
Luke 24:27
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
November 5, 2017
St. John Lutheran Church Sermons
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Matthew 22:1-14)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 1:2). Amen.
An invitation can come in different ways—over the phone, in a text, through the mail (the old-fashioned way).
An invitation can come for various things—a Friday fish fry, a Saturday date night, a Sunday movie matinee.
Those are usually a bit more laid back. Maybe starting with, “Hey, do you want to …”
Then there are the big events. Like weddings. Then it is much more official—fancy script and necessary RSVPs. (You have to know how many pieces of chicken and tubs of coleslaw to have.) That is the picture that Jesus paints with another parable. Come to God’s wedding feast—invited earnestly and dressed correctly. We read from …
Matthew 22:1-14
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, our heavenly Bridegroom,
Weddings are a festive time. The bride is beaming. The groom is grinning. People are celebrating and smiling as they eat food and enjoy themselves.
It is not surprising that Jesus used that setting to describe the kingdom of heaven—blessings of his rule in our hearts on earth and into eternity. It is happy. And God wants you to be there. And so the call goes out …
Come to God’s Wedding Feast!
1. Invited earnestly (1-10)
2. Dressed correctly (11-14)
1. Invited gladly (1-10)
There is a name for them—those who show up to a wedding uninvited. Crashers. Apparently someone just drives by a banquet hall and decides to drop in for some free dining and funny dancing. That is not us. Come to God’s wedding feast—invited earnestly.
This is the third parable that Jesus relayed on Tuesday of Holy Week. He had talked about two sons and some vineyard tenants (Mt 21:28-44). Now one more. Matthew indicates as much: “Jesus spoke to them again in parables” (Mt 22:1). It was an intense day of teaching—for friend and foe alike. Both were there—some listening intently, others leering angrily. Jesus takes the opportunity to share an illustration to instruct—an earthly event to make a spiritual point.
We are somewhat removed from royalty, minus what we read in an occasional article on the internet or on a magazine cover at the checkout about queen’s family in England. But Jesus takes us to the realm of a ruler. He wants us to put ourselves in that situation. “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son” (Mt 22:2).
It was a special occasion. The king had made all the arrangements for his son’s wedding festivities. Now “He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come” (Mt 22:3). They seemed to have known of the nuptials. Maybe like we send out one of those “save the date” cards. But this was their response to those commissioned by the king: “But they refused to come” (Mt 22:3). One after another said, “No.” They did not want to be there.
That didn’t deter the dignitary. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet’” (Mt 22:4). He was intent on his invitation. “Look, I am serious about this.” This is no birthday party for a 5-year-old with pizza and cake. (Not that that is a bad combo.) He spared no expense and cut no corners. There was nothing left to do. They only had to show up.
In fact, there were two ugly reactions. And it wasn’t that they couldn’t. They wouldn’t—too disinterested or too destructive:
“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business” (Mt 22:5). There were other things for the farmer and entrepreneur, better things to occupy their time. So they ignored the summons with indifference.
“The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them” (Mt 22:6). Imagine doing that to the mailman. There were severe insults along with serious harm, including loss of life. Hostility is hardly a way to treat the messengers—those whom God has sent with the invitation, prophets of old or people of today.
Of course that snubbing from the guests didn’t sit well with the king. How could it? “The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city” (Mt 22:7; cf. He 10:31). Why? The monarch explains: “Those I invited did not deserve to come” (Mt 22:8). They were not worthy. If we step away from the parable, it is not hard to look at history and see the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70—God’s judgment for the people turning their backs on God and his Son. Recall that Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders of the day—the Pharisees, chief priests, and elders of the people. They only wanted to kill Jesus. And in three days from this conversation, they would carry that out as they called for his crucifixion.
Jesus wants us to look at this and learn from it. The king did everything; the invitees did nothing. And when all of the work was done, the earnest invite was sent. Such is our heavenly Father. And he calls us.
It is important to remember that our relationship with him is not dependent on what we do. That is an easy trap to fall into. When we get an invite to someone’s house for dinner, the thought almost immediately crosses our minds: “What do I bring?”. This is not like a potluck where we sign up to bring the pickles or jello, a hotdish or hotdogs. The invitation to the regal feast is based on the call of the King, not on what we bring. It is not “believe in Jesus and _____ .” (Fill in the blank—be a good person or live a certain way.) It is only, “Come to the wedding banquet” (Mt 22:4). Jesus has paid for it all with his holy blood shed on the cross and his perfect life lived in our place.
And while we recognize that there will always be ill will against God, we don’t want to be too distracted by this or that—too busy or too bored or too beat—to be in worship or in the Word. Others can always come up with some reasons. We can create certain excuses. But this is where and that is when the Lord leads us and feeds us, refreshing and restoring our souls (Ps 23:2,3). Come to God’s wedding feast—invited earnestly by God.
But there was a party planned. No sense in wasting good food. The king continued: “The wedding banquet is ready. … Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find” (Mt 22:8,9). And that is what happened. “So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests” (Mt 22:10). It didn’t matter if they were outwardly decent or not. The invitation was meant for everyone. No exceptions or exclusions.
As we look at ourselves, there are often more bad days than good ones. That is why it is critical to go back to the call. God invites us earnestly. And in Jesus, he offers only what is best. It is no shock that Isaiah uses the idea of a banquet with only the richest of fare. And notice what he provides.
“He will swallow up death forever” (Is 25:8). It is like when we eat. When we gulp it down, it is gone. Jesus has done that with death—with his death. He defeated it (1 Co 15:54). And he came back to life to assure of eternal life (Jn 11:25,26; Ro 4:25).
“The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth” (Is 25:8). When Jesus returns to bring us to heaven, all that causes the water to run from our eyes down our faces will be removed—no more suffering, no more sin (Re 21:4).
And we join Isaiah in shouting: “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation” (Is 25:9). Or we hear the encouragement of the apostle Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Php 4:4). Or with the confidence of King David singing about his Good Shepherd: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps 23:6). Come to God’s wedding feast. He invites you earnestly.
2. Dressed correctly (11-14)
If you are going to crash a wedding, you might want to blend in. If men are wearing suits, you shouldn’t show up in shorts. If gals are formal dresses, you don’t want to sport yoga pants. (But what do I know about fashion?) It is better to look similar. Come to God’s wedding feast—dressed correctly.
The king wanted to mix and mingle. But something was startling to him. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes” (Mt 22:11). It is one thing to be invited to a black-tie event. It is another to have the host provide the tux. And then you put on a Hawaiian shirt. That would be an insult, wouldn’t it?
And that is why the king addressed him: “‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’” (Mt 25:12). There was no explanation. “The man was speechless” (Mt 22:12). It was as if he had a muzzle on his mouth.
There was swift and immediate action. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Mt 22:13). Hell is real—a place of torment. Jesus knew that because he endured it on the cross so that we wouldn’t have to. The pain of rejecting Jesus is intense and eternal.
Jesus concludes with that summary statement: “For many are invited [or “called”], but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). What about you and me? Yes. He calls us—regardless of our background. He selects us—in spite of our sins. He clothes us. We are worthy of that invitation in Christ. We don’t have to wonder what to wear. At your baptism and mine, he covered us with Christ’s righteousness (Ga 3:27)—washed clean with guilt wiped away. We are “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Ga 3:26)—sons and daughters of the King, heirs of heaven, where we will feast forever (Re 19:9). We are blessed. Come to God’s wedding feast. He dresses you correctly.
You have given and gotten invitations for supper. That is exciting—no matter if it is fast food or fine food. (Maybe I just like to eat.) Not much compares to the joy of a wedding banquet. God requests our presence. Come to God’s wedding feast! He invites us earnestly and dresses us correctly. It is from him and for us. Thank you, God, for the call and the clothes. Amen.
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Php 4:7). Amen.
October 29, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Matthew 21:33-43)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 1:2). Amen.
If you planted a garden in spring and there are still potatoes in the ground right now, you might want to dig them up soon. If that is the case, it might fit under the category of “procrastination” rather than “patience.” Not to mention, we are not going to have many more 70 degree weeks in October. And even less in November and December. You may have to use the shovel to remove the snow before the produce.
But God is patient. We stand in awe of that as Jesus relates a pointed parable about it. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son and in delivering his salvation. We read from …
Matthew 21:33-43
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, the solid and sure foundation of our faith,
Patience is the problem for me when it comes to gardening. (My lack of love for that hobby has been well documented.) It takes too long to put a brown russet in the soil before it becomes a French fry on my plate. I would rather order off the dollar menu and move on. The only delay that I tolerate is the time in the fryer. I can be patient for that.
For God, patience is not an issue. Jesus takes us to a vineyard, not a potato farm, to demonstrate that. And as we gaze at it, we are glad about it.
Marvel at God’s Patience
1. In dispatching his Son (33-40)
2. In delivering his salvation (41-43)
1. In dispatching his Son (33-40)
It sounds official, doesn’t it? To dispatch. I suppose because it is. Think of a 911 operator who directs a police car to the scene of an accident or a fire truck to the site of a fire. Those individuals don’t go on their own. God did that with Jesus. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son.
It is Tuesday of Holy Week. By Friday Jesus will be hung on a cross. So Jesus’ teaching becomes more and more emphatic because the time is shorter and shorter. Maybe it is like a college professor who drills some facts because a test is quickly approaching. Jesus is the master teacher. “Listen to another parable” (Mt 21:33). His enemies are gathered around him, trying to trick him and trap him, so that they could use something against him. But Jesus has something for them—a parable, an illustration to instruct. He takes a familiar situation to communicate a spiritual truth.
We don’t live near Napa Valley or wine country. (Our hearts and prayers go out to the people there affected by the raging flames.) But we get the picture as Jesus paints it. “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower” (Mt 21:33). This was no small task. It was back-breaking work to stick the shoots in the earth and hew out of stone where the grapes would be stomped and the juice collected. There was a wall around it to keep animals out and a watchtower to make sure no one helped himself to the grapes. That didn’t happen overnight. He spared no effort or expense. Perhaps Jesus had Isaiah’s words in mind when he preached. The answer to the question is obvious: “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?” (Is 5:4). Nothing. Not one thing.
The landowner is God the Father. The vineyard is his people. Out of grace, he chose Israel to be his own, the nation from which the Savior would come. He provided for them. He protected them. He showed his concern and showered his care on them throughout their history—bringing them out of Egypt, restoring the Promised Land to them, keeping them safe and separate from others.
We certainly have experienced that in our lives. God has brought us to faith with some water on our forehead or some words on a page. He has not stopped bolstering that trust to this very day. Marvel at that.
Jesus continued: “Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey” (Mt 21:33). The man entrusted his farm to some tenants. They would tend to the vines and hand over a portion of the crops each year for rent. That is the way it works with every shop or store in the Mall of America—not grapes, but money. God had entrusted religious leaders to watch over the spiritual welfare of the people like pastors today.
So it was not unreasonable to read: “When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit” (Mt 21:34). So far so good.
But not for long. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third” (Mt 21:35). But the landlord remained patient. “Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way” (Mt 21:36). The numbers didn’t translate into success. So it was in history. Prophet after prophet—Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, John the Baptist—all faithful men who met defiance, if not death (Lk 13:34; Acts 7:52; He 11:35-38). All of them God patiently sent with his authority to get individuals to realize their constant sin and rely on the coming Messiah.
That is when the parable takes a strange turn or twist. “Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said” (Mt 21:37). It is mindboggling, if not mind-blowing. Who would do that? God would. God did. This is the One about whom he declared: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). But God gave his one and only Son because he loved the world (Jn 3:16).
It didn’t go well. Instead it got ugly. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’” (Mt 21:38). It is hard to understand that logic. “So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him” (Mt 21:39).
Can you see it? Jesus knew what they were thinking and planning. They wanted to capture him and kill him. It was the high priest, Caiaphas, who counseled the Sanhedrin earlier: “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (Jn 11:50). That would go down in three days when they would make sure that Jesus was nailed to the cross outside of the city of Jerusalem with their shouts of “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk 23:31; He 13:12).
But that is why the Father dispatched his Son. To bear our sin. And he did. That was God’s plan. To be our Substitute. And he was. That was Jesus’ purpose.
But it is worthwhile to pause to consider how we are receiving God’s messengers—from parents to pastors, from friends to family. Do we turn our backs or do we take to heart? God patiently dispatches them so that we produce fruit. So that we look to Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior. Marvel at the patience of God in dispatching his Son for us.
2. In delivering his salvation (41-43)
The lights flash and sirens blare to get to offer help when there is a crash or water when there is a blaze. God dispatched Jesus for a reason. Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation.
Jesus brings the parable home to his hearers. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” (Mt 21:40). You don’t have to be a professional judge in a black gown to come to a decision. “‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time’” (Mt 21:41). They were right. It would end badly for them. He would destroy them. His patience would run short and run out. The Pharisees actually condemned themselves with their response.
But there is more—other tenants. Gentiles—like us—would stream into the church. (Not at the exclusion of the Jews.) Jesus directs them to Psalm 118: “Have you never read in the Scriptures [Of course they had. They even heard parts of that song chanted two days prior when Jesus rode into the holy city on a borrowed donkey: “O LORD, save us. [We are more familiar with “Hosanna.”] … Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” (Ps 118:25,25).]: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Mt 21:42). That takes us to the world of masonry. When a contractor puts up a wall, there is a testing process. He studies the bricks. He discards the ones he considers to be worthless. He uses the ones that pass. The chief priests, elders, and the Pharisees rejected Jesus as of no value.
But God has made him the capstone—the most important part that holds up an arch, without which it will fall. Jesus is that Stone (1 Pe 2:4), the head of the Church (Eph 4:15), the only sure One on whom the church builds. This is wonderful in our judgment. We are the ones that Jesus referenced: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43). God rules in our hearts as we turn from our sin and turn to our Savior. Jesus has taken hold of us (Php 3:12). And with the apostle Paul, we strain toward the goal of heaven (Php 3:14). “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Php 3:20). One day Jesus will return for us to take us there when he “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Php 3:21). Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation of us.
Maybe you have afternoon gardening to do. (I am hoping for some afternoon napping—better by far.) But working in a field or in a vineyard requires patience. More than I have. But God has more than I have. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son to us. He came for us. Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation to us. He will come for us. Thank you, Father, for such incredible patience. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23).
October 22, 2017
If you planted a garden in spring and there are still potatoes in the ground right now, you might want to dig them up soon. If that is the case, it might fit under the category of “procrastination” rather than “patience.” Not to mention, we are not going to have many more 70 degree weeks in October. And even less in November and December. You may have to use the shovel to remove the snow before the produce.
But God is patient. We stand in awe of that as Jesus relates a pointed parable about it. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son and in delivering his salvation. We read from …
Matthew 21:33-43
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, the solid and sure foundation of our faith,
Patience is the problem for me when it comes to gardening. (My lack of love for that hobby has been well documented.) It takes too long to put a brown russet in the soil before it becomes a French fry on my plate. I would rather order off the dollar menu and move on. The only delay that I tolerate is the time in the fryer. I can be patient for that.
For God, patience is not an issue. Jesus takes us to a vineyard, not a potato farm, to demonstrate that. And as we gaze at it, we are glad about it.
Marvel at God’s Patience
1. In dispatching his Son (33-40)
2. In delivering his salvation (41-43)
1. In dispatching his Son (33-40)
It sounds official, doesn’t it? To dispatch. I suppose because it is. Think of a 911 operator who directs a police car to the scene of an accident or a fire truck to the site of a fire. Those individuals don’t go on their own. God did that with Jesus. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son.
It is Tuesday of Holy Week. By Friday Jesus will be hung on a cross. So Jesus’ teaching becomes more and more emphatic because the time is shorter and shorter. Maybe it is like a college professor who drills some facts because a test is quickly approaching. Jesus is the master teacher. “Listen to another parable” (Mt 21:33). His enemies are gathered around him, trying to trick him and trap him, so that they could use something against him. But Jesus has something for them—a parable, an illustration to instruct. He takes a familiar situation to communicate a spiritual truth.
We don’t live near Napa Valley or wine country. (Our hearts and prayers go out to the people there affected by the raging flames.) But we get the picture as Jesus paints it. “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower” (Mt 21:33). This was no small task. It was back-breaking work to stick the shoots in the earth and hew out of stone where the grapes would be stomped and the juice collected. There was a wall around it to keep animals out and a watchtower to make sure no one helped himself to the grapes. That didn’t happen overnight. He spared no effort or expense. Perhaps Jesus had Isaiah’s words in mind when he preached. The answer to the question is obvious: “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?” (Is 5:4). Nothing. Not one thing.
The landowner is God the Father. The vineyard is his people. Out of grace, he chose Israel to be his own, the nation from which the Savior would come. He provided for them. He protected them. He showed his concern and showered his care on them throughout their history—bringing them out of Egypt, restoring the Promised Land to them, keeping them safe and separate from others.
We certainly have experienced that in our lives. God has brought us to faith with some water on our forehead or some words on a page. He has not stopped bolstering that trust to this very day. Marvel at that.
Jesus continued: “Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey” (Mt 21:33). The man entrusted his farm to some tenants. They would tend to the vines and hand over a portion of the crops each year for rent. That is the way it works with every shop or store in the Mall of America—not grapes, but money. God had entrusted religious leaders to watch over the spiritual welfare of the people like pastors today.
So it was not unreasonable to read: “When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit” (Mt 21:34). So far so good.
But not for long. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third” (Mt 21:35). But the landlord remained patient. “Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way” (Mt 21:36). The numbers didn’t translate into success. So it was in history. Prophet after prophet—Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, John the Baptist—all faithful men who met defiance, if not death (Lk 13:34; Acts 7:52; He 11:35-38). All of them God patiently sent with his authority to get individuals to realize their constant sin and rely on the coming Messiah.
That is when the parable takes a strange turn or twist. “Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said” (Mt 21:37). It is mindboggling, if not mind-blowing. Who would do that? God would. God did. This is the One about whom he declared: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). But God gave his one and only Son because he loved the world (Jn 3:16).
It didn’t go well. Instead it got ugly. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’” (Mt 21:38). It is hard to understand that logic. “So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him” (Mt 21:39).
Can you see it? Jesus knew what they were thinking and planning. They wanted to capture him and kill him. It was the high priest, Caiaphas, who counseled the Sanhedrin earlier: “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (Jn 11:50). That would go down in three days when they would make sure that Jesus was nailed to the cross outside of the city of Jerusalem with their shouts of “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk 23:31; He 13:12).
But that is why the Father dispatched his Son. To bear our sin. And he did. That was God’s plan. To be our Substitute. And he was. That was Jesus’ purpose.
But it is worthwhile to pause to consider how we are receiving God’s messengers—from parents to pastors, from friends to family. Do we turn our backs or do we take to heart? God patiently dispatches them so that we produce fruit. So that we look to Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior. Marvel at the patience of God in dispatching his Son for us.
2. In delivering his salvation (41-43)
The lights flash and sirens blare to get to offer help when there is a crash or water when there is a blaze. God dispatched Jesus for a reason. Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation.
Jesus brings the parable home to his hearers. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” (Mt 21:40). You don’t have to be a professional judge in a black gown to come to a decision. “‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time’” (Mt 21:41). They were right. It would end badly for them. He would destroy them. His patience would run short and run out. The Pharisees actually condemned themselves with their response.
But there is more—other tenants. Gentiles—like us—would stream into the church. (Not at the exclusion of the Jews.) Jesus directs them to Psalm 118: “Have you never read in the Scriptures [Of course they had. They even heard parts of that song chanted two days prior when Jesus rode into the holy city on a borrowed donkey: “O LORD, save us. [We are more familiar with “Hosanna.”] … Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” (Ps 118:25,25).]: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Mt 21:42). That takes us to the world of masonry. When a contractor puts up a wall, there is a testing process. He studies the bricks. He discards the ones he considers to be worthless. He uses the ones that pass. The chief priests, elders, and the Pharisees rejected Jesus as of no value.
But God has made him the capstone—the most important part that holds up an arch, without which it will fall. Jesus is that Stone (1 Pe 2:4), the head of the Church (Eph 4:15), the only sure One on whom the church builds. This is wonderful in our judgment. We are the ones that Jesus referenced: “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Mt 21:43). God rules in our hearts as we turn from our sin and turn to our Savior. Jesus has taken hold of us (Php 3:12). And with the apostle Paul, we strain toward the goal of heaven (Php 3:14). “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Php 3:20). One day Jesus will return for us to take us there when he “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Php 3:21). Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation of us.
Maybe you have afternoon gardening to do. (I am hoping for some afternoon napping—better by far.) But working in a field or in a vineyard requires patience. More than I have. But God has more than I have. Marvel at God’s patience in dispatching his Son to us. He came for us. Marvel at God’s patience in delivering his salvation to us. He will come for us. Thank you, Father, for such incredible patience. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23).
October 22, 2017
Sunday, October 15, 2017
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Matthew 21:28-32)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 1:2). Amen.
“What do you think?” That is the kind of a question that causes you to stop for a moment and mull over an answer.
Sometimes it comes down to a choice between two opposites. It could be …
Yes or no. “What do you think? Does this tie make me look skinny?” (You can’t see it so you can’t comment.)
This one or that one. “What do you think? Which tie looks better with this shirt?” (Anything matches white, correct?)
That was the situation on the Tuesday of Holy Week—two days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that requisitioned donkey and 5 days before he would head out of a borrowed tomb. It was a busy day for Jesus. He spent the day answering his enemies when they attacked and teaching his listeners when they gathered (Mt 21:23-27).
Jesus wanted them to make a consideration and then come to a conclusion. So he begins, “What do you think?” (Mt 21:28). And he proceeds with a parable—another one of his illustrations to instruct. He would like us to contemplate too. Jesus makes us think about being a good son.
And so it is that a dad has two boys. Note that he approaches them, not the other way around. That is the same way with God to us. He draws near to us. “He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’” (Mt 21:28). None of us would take exception with that. He had some vines to be pruned or some grapes to be picked that day as well as an able-bodied family member. It is not out of the realm of possibility that a father requests that his son mow the lawn in summer or rake the leaves in fall or shovel snow in the winter. (I guess that means that he can take spring off.)
But that was not going to happen. “I will not” (Mt 21:29). There was no hesitation and it was harsh, full of disrespect and defiance: “I don’t want to.” There was no missing his point. It was short, but not sweet. It was a flat out “No.”
But then came the regret with a touch of remorse. “But later he changed his mind and went” (Mt 21:29). He grabbed a shears from the shed or a basket from the barn and got busy. That is son #1. A good son?
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing” (Mt 21:30). There was no difference in the appeal. “I will, sir” (Mt 21:30). That’s more like it. He was so respectful. “At your service, my Lord.” But yet, he was not responsible. “He did not go” (Mt 21:30). His emphatic enthusiasm did not match his pathetic actions. Politeness didn’t translate into productivity. Apparently his mother never taught him the adage: “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” In a sense, there was no filling up the riding mower with gas or finding a rake or shovel in the garage. The lazy-boy is too cozy or the bed is too comfortable. That is son #2. A good son?
Then comes the one question test. If it were multiple choice, it would be a or b: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Mt 21:31). That is obvious to them (Mt 21:31). “The first” (Mt 21:31). They passed because they chose correctly, but really condemned themselves. Jesus desired that they diagnose their hearts. But their pride in themselves blinded them to what Jesus wanted them to grasp.
Jesus stresses a reality as he leads off with his formula of affirming something certain. “I tell you the truth” (Mt 21:31). And what is that? “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21:31).
“Tax collectors and the prostitutes” (Mt 21:31). You didn’t get any lower than that in society—taking money and turning tricks. The one ruined IRAs and the other wrecked marriages. They were to be looked down on like an embezzler or a drug dealer, not looked up to.
And yet Jesus holds them out as an example of a good son. Why? “For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did” (Mt 21:32). It came down to faith in John’s message. He pointed out to the tax collectors and prostitutes that they were not right with God. They recognized that when he preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Mt 3:2). But as John pointed out their sin, he pointed them to their Savior: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes assay the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). He picks them up and he carries them off. They were son #1. To do the work of the Father is to believe in his Son, the One he has sent (Jn 6:29). Those two groups did.
I don’t know if you enjoy looking in the mirror. Perhaps not first thing in the morning before you shower or shave—with your bedhead or rough stubble. But Jesus holds one up to our heart. Am I son #1? (That doesn’t exclude women. Jesus uses two boys.) Yes. You too. But there is an admission that goes with that acknowledgment. Do I spot my sin like a section of hair standing straight up or a whisker sticking out? Possibly we are like those children of Israel. They wanted to blame someone else when they cited that saying: “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Eze 18:2). In other words, “My daddy sucked on a lemon and my lips pucker up. I am being punished for his problem.”
But that is not true. Each one of us is accountable to our God. The Lord can’t state it any more simply: “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Eze 18:4). But that is not what God wishes. Instead, as he pleaded through the prophet: “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses. … Repent and live!” (Eze 18:30,32). That is what God wants for all (2 Pe 3:9). And so we pray with the psalmist David who had firsthand experience with a sin or 2047 of them: “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways” (Ps 25:7). We could certainly add the sins of my middle age and old age. “Remember not the times I said “I will not” or the times I said “I will, sir,” and then failed to do what I promised—holding on to a grudge or giving in to hate.
But like David we continue: “According to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD” (Ps 25:7). So good that he sent his Son, true God becoming true man, who always said “yes” to his Father in order to serve us—all the way to a wooden instrument of torture. “[He] became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Php 2:8). He is the One before whom we bend our knees in praise as our Lord and Savior (Php 2:11). And now faith in him is “a living, busy, active, mighty thing” (Martin Luther).
Am I son #2? Yes. You too. He stands for the Pharisees and others like them who wanted nothing to do with John’s proclamation—like the chief priests and leaders of the people. They came to God with their goodness or greatness. “Look at me and what I do.” But on another occasion, Jesus contended: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Notice Jesus’ observation: “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21:31). He is holding the door open for them. They can go in too with repentance—turning from sin and turning to God. And so it is that we are not just to go through the motions. But we understand our unworthiness before him and appreciate our worthiness from him. He is faithful and he forgives (1 Jn 1:9).
Instead of the first “no/yes” son or the second “yes/no” son, we are “yes/yes” son. Jesus makes us think of being a good son. And we are—through him, the best Son. I confess my sin against God and God comforts my soul with Jesus. We repent and we believe (Mt 21:32). What do you think (with or without a tie on)? “Go in peace. You are forgiven. You are family.”
We read from Matthew 21:28-32:
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23).
October 15, 2017
“What do you think?” That is the kind of a question that causes you to stop for a moment and mull over an answer.
Sometimes it comes down to a choice between two opposites. It could be …
Yes or no. “What do you think? Does this tie make me look skinny?” (You can’t see it so you can’t comment.)
This one or that one. “What do you think? Which tie looks better with this shirt?” (Anything matches white, correct?)
That was the situation on the Tuesday of Holy Week—two days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that requisitioned donkey and 5 days before he would head out of a borrowed tomb. It was a busy day for Jesus. He spent the day answering his enemies when they attacked and teaching his listeners when they gathered (Mt 21:23-27).
Jesus wanted them to make a consideration and then come to a conclusion. So he begins, “What do you think?” (Mt 21:28). And he proceeds with a parable—another one of his illustrations to instruct. He would like us to contemplate too. Jesus makes us think about being a good son.
And so it is that a dad has two boys. Note that he approaches them, not the other way around. That is the same way with God to us. He draws near to us. “He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’” (Mt 21:28). None of us would take exception with that. He had some vines to be pruned or some grapes to be picked that day as well as an able-bodied family member. It is not out of the realm of possibility that a father requests that his son mow the lawn in summer or rake the leaves in fall or shovel snow in the winter. (I guess that means that he can take spring off.)
But that was not going to happen. “I will not” (Mt 21:29). There was no hesitation and it was harsh, full of disrespect and defiance: “I don’t want to.” There was no missing his point. It was short, but not sweet. It was a flat out “No.”
But then came the regret with a touch of remorse. “But later he changed his mind and went” (Mt 21:29). He grabbed a shears from the shed or a basket from the barn and got busy. That is son #1. A good son?
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing” (Mt 21:30). There was no difference in the appeal. “I will, sir” (Mt 21:30). That’s more like it. He was so respectful. “At your service, my Lord.” But yet, he was not responsible. “He did not go” (Mt 21:30). His emphatic enthusiasm did not match his pathetic actions. Politeness didn’t translate into productivity. Apparently his mother never taught him the adage: “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” In a sense, there was no filling up the riding mower with gas or finding a rake or shovel in the garage. The lazy-boy is too cozy or the bed is too comfortable. That is son #2. A good son?
Then comes the one question test. If it were multiple choice, it would be a or b: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Mt 21:31). That is obvious to them (Mt 21:31). “The first” (Mt 21:31). They passed because they chose correctly, but really condemned themselves. Jesus desired that they diagnose their hearts. But their pride in themselves blinded them to what Jesus wanted them to grasp.
Jesus stresses a reality as he leads off with his formula of affirming something certain. “I tell you the truth” (Mt 21:31). And what is that? “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21:31).
“Tax collectors and the prostitutes” (Mt 21:31). You didn’t get any lower than that in society—taking money and turning tricks. The one ruined IRAs and the other wrecked marriages. They were to be looked down on like an embezzler or a drug dealer, not looked up to.
And yet Jesus holds them out as an example of a good son. Why? “For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did” (Mt 21:32). It came down to faith in John’s message. He pointed out to the tax collectors and prostitutes that they were not right with God. They recognized that when he preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Mt 3:2). But as John pointed out their sin, he pointed them to their Savior: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes assay the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). He picks them up and he carries them off. They were son #1. To do the work of the Father is to believe in his Son, the One he has sent (Jn 6:29). Those two groups did.
I don’t know if you enjoy looking in the mirror. Perhaps not first thing in the morning before you shower or shave—with your bedhead or rough stubble. But Jesus holds one up to our heart. Am I son #1? (That doesn’t exclude women. Jesus uses two boys.) Yes. You too. But there is an admission that goes with that acknowledgment. Do I spot my sin like a section of hair standing straight up or a whisker sticking out? Possibly we are like those children of Israel. They wanted to blame someone else when they cited that saying: “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Eze 18:2). In other words, “My daddy sucked on a lemon and my lips pucker up. I am being punished for his problem.”
But that is not true. Each one of us is accountable to our God. The Lord can’t state it any more simply: “The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Eze 18:4). But that is not what God wishes. Instead, as he pleaded through the prophet: “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses. … Repent and live!” (Eze 18:30,32). That is what God wants for all (2 Pe 3:9). And so we pray with the psalmist David who had firsthand experience with a sin or 2047 of them: “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways” (Ps 25:7). We could certainly add the sins of my middle age and old age. “Remember not the times I said “I will not” or the times I said “I will, sir,” and then failed to do what I promised—holding on to a grudge or giving in to hate.
But like David we continue: “According to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD” (Ps 25:7). So good that he sent his Son, true God becoming true man, who always said “yes” to his Father in order to serve us—all the way to a wooden instrument of torture. “[He] became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Php 2:8). He is the One before whom we bend our knees in praise as our Lord and Savior (Php 2:11). And now faith in him is “a living, busy, active, mighty thing” (Martin Luther).
Am I son #2? Yes. You too. He stands for the Pharisees and others like them who wanted nothing to do with John’s proclamation—like the chief priests and leaders of the people. They came to God with their goodness or greatness. “Look at me and what I do.” But on another occasion, Jesus contended: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7:21). Notice Jesus’ observation: “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21:31). He is holding the door open for them. They can go in too with repentance—turning from sin and turning to God. And so it is that we are not just to go through the motions. But we understand our unworthiness before him and appreciate our worthiness from him. He is faithful and he forgives (1 Jn 1:9).
Instead of the first “no/yes” son or the second “yes/no” son, we are “yes/yes” son. Jesus makes us think of being a good son. And we are—through him, the best Son. I confess my sin against God and God comforts my soul with Jesus. We repent and we believe (Mt 21:32). What do you think (with or without a tie on)? “Go in peace. You are forgiven. You are family.”
We read from Matthew 21:28-32:
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23).
October 15, 2017
Monday, October 9, 2017
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Matthew 20:1-16)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Php 1:2). Amen.
Tell me if you have heard this: “It’s not fair.” It might not have been that long ago. Perhaps already today. Possibly only yesterday.
Someone pointed it out that it begins at a young age. A toddler has this incredible ability to spot when a sibling has one more goldfish cracker in his pile than he does on his plate—from across the room even. “It’s not fair.”
Do we grow out of that pattern?
The teenager complains. “She has two new outfits for every day of the year. I have nothing to wear. It’s not fair.”
The worker criticizes. “He gets every promotion. I do all the work. It’s not fair.”
The retiree comments. “They get to travel the world. I just get to see the doctor. It’s not fair.”
“It’s not fair” easily becomes our mantra.
And then maybe we think that way about how God deals with us. Jesus uses a parable to change our chant. It is fair because God is gracious and God is generous. We read from …
Matthew 20:1-16
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who brings us into God’s kingdom,
Tell me if you have heard this: “It is fair.”
“9:00 bedtime on a school night. I concur that I need 8-9 hours of sleep to feel refreshed and ready for a new day. It is fair.”
“A red checkmark on my test. I didn’t study my notes as much as I checked my phone last night. It is fair.”
“A few extra pounds on the scale. I do spend a lot of time in front of the TV with potato chips. It is fair.”
We will let those be what they may. But what about God? He is just (2 Thess 1:5). That is, he is fair. And that includes what he does. And so it is:
It Is Fair!
1. Because God is gracious (1-14)
2. Because God is generous (15,16)
1. Because God is gracious (1-14)
Do you know someone who is gracious? Usually we think that means he is nice because he holds the door open for you or she is kind because she cares for her kids. That is a delightful characteristic. God is gracious. But it goes deeper than that. His love is profound and perfect. It is fair because God is gracious.
It really was in response to a concern, or better, a question. Peter was curious. Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Lk 19:27). The thought may have crossed our minds a time or two. “It’s not quite fair.” There should be something.
Jesus’ reply was a parable. It was another one of his illustrations to instruct. Jesus again teaches about “the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 20:1). That is God’s rule in our hearts. And it is gracious.
The setting is simple: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard” (Mt 20:1). That still happens in some areas—people go at sunrise and stand waiting for someone to bring them to their fields. We might be more familiar with temp agencies than that practice. But cultivating a vineyard was a common occupation in Israel. So it was a familiar sight for Jesus’ listeners.
And it was determined: “He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard” (Mt 20:2). They would pick grapes. And he would provide compensation. A denarius was the normal salary for 12 hours’ worth of work, even this labor-intensive job. The decision between the two parties was like a symphony playing in harmony. Both were on the same page of the contract.
And that procedure of finding those who were unemployed went on the rest of the day: the third hour (Mt 20:3), the sixth hour (Mt 20:5), and the ninth hour (Mt 20:5). Or 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Note that there was no bargain this go around. “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right” (Mt 20:4). The remuneration would be right. He would be fair. “So they went” (Mt 20:5).
That is where it gets a bit strange. He headed out at the “eleventh hour” (Mt 20:6)—5:00 PM. There were others around and others utilized. That seems a bit unusual since there were only 60 more minutes to tend the vines. That is not much time. It is hard to fire up your computer and scroll through social media in such a short span, let along pour a second cup of coffee. But the command was the same: “You also go and work in my vineyard” (Mt 20:7).
It is important to see that the landowner found the workers. They didn’t find him. And there was no lengthy interview or long application. That is how it is in God’s kingdom. He draws near to us because we can’t come close to him. And it is fair because he is gracious. It doesn’t matter if he comes early in life or calls later in life. That is grace. Arrow pointing down from God to us.
Closing time came and the pay window opened. The owner established the order of how: “[He] said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first’” (Mt 20:8). So it was. The one hour laborers received one denarius (Mt 20:9). When that was the case, the others got denarii signs in their eyes. “If they received so much for so little, we should be in line for a big payday” (Mt 20:10). At least, that was their assumption or expectation. But when they opened their envelope, the pay stub read “one denarius.” What? You can guess: “That’s not fair.” “They began to grumble against the landowner” (Mt 20:11). You can come up with the objections (Mt 20:12): “They hardly broke a sweat with any heavy lifting of wicker baskets. They didn’t even have to apply sunscreen because of no harmful UV rays.”
But he was fair. “Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?” (Mt 20:13). Yes. If your neighbor agrees to pay you $20 for mowing his lawn, how much does he give you when you are done? Hint: $20. That was the arrangement. That is fair. There would be no negotiating. “Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you” (Mt 20:14). It doesn’t take much for that “give and get” mentality sneaks into our heads. I give to God—be it some time or some money—then I should get from God. In our opinion, that would be fair. And then pride settles in. “Look at the effort or the amount. But in a way, we get what we want with that attitude—the approval or amazement of others of how much we accomplish or achieve. But in another sense, we don’t want God to be fair with us. There is a wage that sin pays. And it is ugly. It is death (Ro 6:23).
But God gives us the opposite of what we deserve. It is a gift (Ro 6:23). That is grace. To be fair, God still had to punish sin. And he did. On Jesus. He put our guilt on him and he paid for it all. He gives and forgives us in Jesus. The Lord is correct when he reminds us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD” (Is 55:8). In fact, they are worlds apart: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:9). God’s ways and thoughts are different than ours. He wants to hand us his undeserved kindness without cost. And he does. Why? God’s grace is the only answer.
And we now go and work, not to get things, but to give thanks. And we echo what the apostle Paul penned: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Php 1:21). That is fair because God is gracious.
2. Because God is generous (15,16)
It could be that it is easier for you to name a gracious individual faster than a generous one. That is certainly a desirable quality. God is generous. That might be almost an understatement. It is fair because God is generous.
Those first hired might not have been aware of the man’s generosity to the last hired if they had not been lined up and paid up in reverse order. And the vineyard owner makes a valid point: “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?” (Mt 20:15). Absolutely he does. What I do with that Andrew Jackson for clipping the lawn is up to me. That is proper. We refer to someone who is jealous as having an “evil eye.” Their eyesight was bad. “Are you envious because I am generous?” (Mt 20:15). He was good to all. And “so the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Mt 20:16). The first ones will be out of the kingdom and the last ones will be in it.
God enjoys giving his grace—to all and all the same. To us. He wipes away our sins gladly. He holds out heaven happily. To us. We can be just as sure as the psalmist: “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Ps 27:13). So we listen to David’s encouragement: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Ps 27:14). Instead of getting upset, we get excited that it God’s generosity is for all—equally and eternally, from a dying thief to a life-long Christian. His ways and thoughts are right. That is fair because God is generous.
Young and old alike often scream, “It’s not fair.” That is just code for “I don’t like it.” That is not our reaction to our Lord. Instead we can state: “It is fair.” Because God is gracious and generous to us. He gives his incredible love to us freely and fully. We do like it. It is fair. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23)!
October 8, 2017
Tell me if you have heard this: “It’s not fair.” It might not have been that long ago. Perhaps already today. Possibly only yesterday.
Someone pointed it out that it begins at a young age. A toddler has this incredible ability to spot when a sibling has one more goldfish cracker in his pile than he does on his plate—from across the room even. “It’s not fair.”
Do we grow out of that pattern?
The teenager complains. “She has two new outfits for every day of the year. I have nothing to wear. It’s not fair.”
The worker criticizes. “He gets every promotion. I do all the work. It’s not fair.”
The retiree comments. “They get to travel the world. I just get to see the doctor. It’s not fair.”
“It’s not fair” easily becomes our mantra.
And then maybe we think that way about how God deals with us. Jesus uses a parable to change our chant. It is fair because God is gracious and God is generous. We read from …
Matthew 20:1-16
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who brings us into God’s kingdom,
Tell me if you have heard this: “It is fair.”
“9:00 bedtime on a school night. I concur that I need 8-9 hours of sleep to feel refreshed and ready for a new day. It is fair.”
“A red checkmark on my test. I didn’t study my notes as much as I checked my phone last night. It is fair.”
“A few extra pounds on the scale. I do spend a lot of time in front of the TV with potato chips. It is fair.”
We will let those be what they may. But what about God? He is just (2 Thess 1:5). That is, he is fair. And that includes what he does. And so it is:
It Is Fair!
1. Because God is gracious (1-14)
2. Because God is generous (15,16)
1. Because God is gracious (1-14)
Do you know someone who is gracious? Usually we think that means he is nice because he holds the door open for you or she is kind because she cares for her kids. That is a delightful characteristic. God is gracious. But it goes deeper than that. His love is profound and perfect. It is fair because God is gracious.
It really was in response to a concern, or better, a question. Peter was curious. Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Lk 19:27). The thought may have crossed our minds a time or two. “It’s not quite fair.” There should be something.
Jesus’ reply was a parable. It was another one of his illustrations to instruct. Jesus again teaches about “the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 20:1). That is God’s rule in our hearts. And it is gracious.
The setting is simple: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard” (Mt 20:1). That still happens in some areas—people go at sunrise and stand waiting for someone to bring them to their fields. We might be more familiar with temp agencies than that practice. But cultivating a vineyard was a common occupation in Israel. So it was a familiar sight for Jesus’ listeners.
And it was determined: “He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard” (Mt 20:2). They would pick grapes. And he would provide compensation. A denarius was the normal salary for 12 hours’ worth of work, even this labor-intensive job. The decision between the two parties was like a symphony playing in harmony. Both were on the same page of the contract.
And that procedure of finding those who were unemployed went on the rest of the day: the third hour (Mt 20:3), the sixth hour (Mt 20:5), and the ninth hour (Mt 20:5). Or 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. Note that there was no bargain this go around. “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right” (Mt 20:4). The remuneration would be right. He would be fair. “So they went” (Mt 20:5).
That is where it gets a bit strange. He headed out at the “eleventh hour” (Mt 20:6)—5:00 PM. There were others around and others utilized. That seems a bit unusual since there were only 60 more minutes to tend the vines. That is not much time. It is hard to fire up your computer and scroll through social media in such a short span, let along pour a second cup of coffee. But the command was the same: “You also go and work in my vineyard” (Mt 20:7).
It is important to see that the landowner found the workers. They didn’t find him. And there was no lengthy interview or long application. That is how it is in God’s kingdom. He draws near to us because we can’t come close to him. And it is fair because he is gracious. It doesn’t matter if he comes early in life or calls later in life. That is grace. Arrow pointing down from God to us.
Closing time came and the pay window opened. The owner established the order of how: “[He] said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first’” (Mt 20:8). So it was. The one hour laborers received one denarius (Mt 20:9). When that was the case, the others got denarii signs in their eyes. “If they received so much for so little, we should be in line for a big payday” (Mt 20:10). At least, that was their assumption or expectation. But when they opened their envelope, the pay stub read “one denarius.” What? You can guess: “That’s not fair.” “They began to grumble against the landowner” (Mt 20:11). You can come up with the objections (Mt 20:12): “They hardly broke a sweat with any heavy lifting of wicker baskets. They didn’t even have to apply sunscreen because of no harmful UV rays.”
But he was fair. “Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?” (Mt 20:13). Yes. If your neighbor agrees to pay you $20 for mowing his lawn, how much does he give you when you are done? Hint: $20. That was the arrangement. That is fair. There would be no negotiating. “Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you” (Mt 20:14). It doesn’t take much for that “give and get” mentality sneaks into our heads. I give to God—be it some time or some money—then I should get from God. In our opinion, that would be fair. And then pride settles in. “Look at the effort or the amount. But in a way, we get what we want with that attitude—the approval or amazement of others of how much we accomplish or achieve. But in another sense, we don’t want God to be fair with us. There is a wage that sin pays. And it is ugly. It is death (Ro 6:23).
But God gives us the opposite of what we deserve. It is a gift (Ro 6:23). That is grace. To be fair, God still had to punish sin. And he did. On Jesus. He put our guilt on him and he paid for it all. He gives and forgives us in Jesus. The Lord is correct when he reminds us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD” (Is 55:8). In fact, they are worlds apart: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:9). God’s ways and thoughts are different than ours. He wants to hand us his undeserved kindness without cost. And he does. Why? God’s grace is the only answer.
And we now go and work, not to get things, but to give thanks. And we echo what the apostle Paul penned: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Php 1:21). That is fair because God is gracious.
2. Because God is generous (15,16)
It could be that it is easier for you to name a gracious individual faster than a generous one. That is certainly a desirable quality. God is generous. That might be almost an understatement. It is fair because God is generous.
Those first hired might not have been aware of the man’s generosity to the last hired if they had not been lined up and paid up in reverse order. And the vineyard owner makes a valid point: “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?” (Mt 20:15). Absolutely he does. What I do with that Andrew Jackson for clipping the lawn is up to me. That is proper. We refer to someone who is jealous as having an “evil eye.” Their eyesight was bad. “Are you envious because I am generous?” (Mt 20:15). He was good to all. And “so the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Mt 20:16). The first ones will be out of the kingdom and the last ones will be in it.
God enjoys giving his grace—to all and all the same. To us. He wipes away our sins gladly. He holds out heaven happily. To us. We can be just as sure as the psalmist: “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Ps 27:13). So we listen to David’s encouragement: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Ps 27:14). Instead of getting upset, we get excited that it God’s generosity is for all—equally and eternally, from a dying thief to a life-long Christian. His ways and thoughts are right. That is fair because God is generous.
Young and old alike often scream, “It’s not fair.” That is just code for “I don’t like it.” That is not our reaction to our Lord. Instead we can state: “It is fair.” Because God is gracious and generous to us. He gives his incredible love to us freely and fully. We do like it. It is fair. Amen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen (Php 4:23)!
October 8, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Romans 14:5-9)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
Emotions are real. You know that because you have them. Or better, you feel them—from the highs to the lows, and everywhere in between.
Emotions are also raw. Let’s take one as an example. Loneliness. Just mentioning that one probably hits your heart or strikes your stomach as you think of a time you have faced or are facing it. Or will. I read about an interesting study that found out that the part of our brain that becomes active when we contend with loneliness is the same place as when we deal with physical pain. Interesting.
But we are not alone. Our God is with us. And our God gives us family and friends. And we have each other. And as we go from day to day with that reminder, the apostle Paul also recalls that for us. We live to the Lord in Christian liberty and in Christian love. We read from …
Romans 14:5-9
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, who gives freedom from sin and freedom to serve,
The saying goes, “No man is an island.” I guess that is true. Look around. We are not by ourselves.
And since that is the case, I suppose that there are two ways to live:
For myself. It is all about me, me, me.
For my Savior. It is all about him, him, him.
Paul is clear on which one it is.
We Live to the Lord
1. In Christian liberty (5-9)
2. In Christian love (7)
1. In Christian liberty (5-9)
Now that it is the 1st of October, the 4th of July seems a distant memory. But the freedoms that we remember then are still relevant now. That is true not just as citizens of the United States, but also as citizens of the Christian church. The blessings of both are ongoing as make our way through life. We live to the Lord in Christian liberty.
As Paul takes up his pen in this section of his letter to the believers in Rome—a gathering of both Jews and Gentiles, he takes up the topic of “middle things”—that which God has not commanded nor forbidden in his Word. We usually refer to that as “adiaphora.” And then a choice between two things is not wrong (like what color of robe for the pastor or kind of car in the parking lot). Then we are free. Either one is acceptable—like deciding between two delicious entrees on a menu at a restaurant. You can’t go wrong. Paul cites two examples as it pertains to conscience.
The one area was about timing. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike” (Ro 14:5). Perhaps we don’t get the tension. There were cultural differences. Think of it. For centuries, the Jews have worshipped on Saturday, the Sabbath Day, as God decreed (Ex 20:8). But that day of rest pointed ahead to Jesus (Col 2:16,17), the “Rest-giver” (Mt 11:28). That is no longer binding since Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law. But they couldn’t give that custom up overnight.
The Gentiles had no ties to a specific day so they choose Sunday as a day for worship. One was as good as another, as valuable as the other.
The other subject was about dining. “He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Ro 14:6). Again, there was a rub. The Jews lived for a long time with dietary restrictions.
Not the Gentiles. A prime rib was as good as a pig’s tongue. (You may have your opinion on one or both of those. I do having tasted both.) Or some couldn’t eat meat because it passed through the pagan temple on the way to the supermarket. So they didn’t.
So what is? Saturday or Sunday? Kosher meat or any kind of meat? Vegan or vegetarian? Paul gives two principles:
First: “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Ro 14:5). There has to be a careful thought process about the issue. Maybe it is good to repeat why we worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7). It takes us back to when Jesus came out of the grave, a “mini-Easter,” if you will, or a weekly anniversary of that event. We also happen to have settled on 9:30 AM as the starting time. That seems to work right now. Others have an earlier time. Others a later time. As long as we are certain that it makes sense. We can have special midweek services for Thanksgiving or Lent. When it comes to our nutrition, it can be free of gluten or full of it.
Second: He “does so to the Lord” (Ro 14:6) or he “gives thanks to God” (Ro 14:6). God gets the honor and appreciation for all that we do. And not just in here, but at home. Whatever we do, the spotlight shines on him (Mt. 5:16; 1 Co 10:31; Col 3:17). We express our gratitude to him for his grace to us.
No matter what and no matter when, we are the Lord’s. “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Ro 14:8). God bought us with the blood of his Son. God brought us into his family through baptism. And now, with every breath, we belong to the Lord. He allows us to inhale and exhale. And in every death, we belong to the Lord. It is not as Job’s wife proposed to her suffering spouse boldly and defiantly: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). But as Stephen prayed quietly and confidently: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). There and then we will be with Jesus in Paradise (Lk 23:43)—just like here and now. Living or dying does not change our relationship with Jesus.
Paul takes us to Jesus’ empty tomb: “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living” (Ro 14:9). Jesus is above all and over all. His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave are proof that his sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sins and rule in our lives.
We live to the Lord then in Christian liberty. We can eat what we want and drink what we want. That is, as long as it is not harmful to my body or my neighbor. We want to be sensitive to that. And as long as we are sure that God gets the praise.
2. In Christian love (7)
While not perfect, we have a country that is good. We can show respect to it in different ways. So it is in our church community. We live to the Lord in Christian love.
We are not loners. “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone” (Ro 14:7). Believers belong to the Lord and belong with one another.
This discussion is not theoretical, but practical. It doesn’t take too much convincing that we are sinners living with sinners. We sin against others and vice versa. God has forgiven that in Jesus. The psalmist David had us sing about that: “Praise the Lord, O my soul, … as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps 103:1,12).
Then the forgiven forgive. We can be like Joseph who did that with his brothers for selling him into slavery. (I have two brothers, doing that was not an option—at least not a possibility.) When they needed comfort, “he reassured them and spoke kindly to them” (Ge 50:21). He directed that to their suffering souls. “I forgive you as God forgives you.” And not one time, but again and again. In Jesus’ words: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22). And then with Jesus’ parable—the master who canceled billions of dollars in debt out of mercy. And then the opposite when the man couldn’t do that with an obligation of thousands. We live to the Lord in Christian love, imitating him as we send away sin as he does.
Some of us may be more emotional than others, at least outwardly as we wear it on our sleeves. And even at times we flirt with loneliness, we are not by ourselves. We have our faithful God and our fellow man. As we pass our time, we live to the Lord in Christian liberty—free to do what is pleasing to God—and in Christian love—forgiving as we have been forgiven. That is our life to our Savior. Amen.
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Ro 16:27).
October 1, 2017
Emotions are real. You know that because you have them. Or better, you feel them—from the highs to the lows, and everywhere in between.
Emotions are also raw. Let’s take one as an example. Loneliness. Just mentioning that one probably hits your heart or strikes your stomach as you think of a time you have faced or are facing it. Or will. I read about an interesting study that found out that the part of our brain that becomes active when we contend with loneliness is the same place as when we deal with physical pain. Interesting.
But we are not alone. Our God is with us. And our God gives us family and friends. And we have each other. And as we go from day to day with that reminder, the apostle Paul also recalls that for us. We live to the Lord in Christian liberty and in Christian love. We read from …
Romans 14:5-9
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, who gives freedom from sin and freedom to serve,
The saying goes, “No man is an island.” I guess that is true. Look around. We are not by ourselves.
And since that is the case, I suppose that there are two ways to live:
For myself. It is all about me, me, me.
For my Savior. It is all about him, him, him.
Paul is clear on which one it is.
We Live to the Lord
1. In Christian liberty (5-9)
2. In Christian love (7)
1. In Christian liberty (5-9)
Now that it is the 1st of October, the 4th of July seems a distant memory. But the freedoms that we remember then are still relevant now. That is true not just as citizens of the United States, but also as citizens of the Christian church. The blessings of both are ongoing as make our way through life. We live to the Lord in Christian liberty.
As Paul takes up his pen in this section of his letter to the believers in Rome—a gathering of both Jews and Gentiles, he takes up the topic of “middle things”—that which God has not commanded nor forbidden in his Word. We usually refer to that as “adiaphora.” And then a choice between two things is not wrong (like what color of robe for the pastor or kind of car in the parking lot). Then we are free. Either one is acceptable—like deciding between two delicious entrees on a menu at a restaurant. You can’t go wrong. Paul cites two examples as it pertains to conscience.
The one area was about timing. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike” (Ro 14:5). Perhaps we don’t get the tension. There were cultural differences. Think of it. For centuries, the Jews have worshipped on Saturday, the Sabbath Day, as God decreed (Ex 20:8). But that day of rest pointed ahead to Jesus (Col 2:16,17), the “Rest-giver” (Mt 11:28). That is no longer binding since Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law. But they couldn’t give that custom up overnight.
The Gentiles had no ties to a specific day so they choose Sunday as a day for worship. One was as good as another, as valuable as the other.
The other subject was about dining. “He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Ro 14:6). Again, there was a rub. The Jews lived for a long time with dietary restrictions.
Not the Gentiles. A prime rib was as good as a pig’s tongue. (You may have your opinion on one or both of those. I do having tasted both.) Or some couldn’t eat meat because it passed through the pagan temple on the way to the supermarket. So they didn’t.
So what is? Saturday or Sunday? Kosher meat or any kind of meat? Vegan or vegetarian? Paul gives two principles:
First: “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Ro 14:5). There has to be a careful thought process about the issue. Maybe it is good to repeat why we worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7). It takes us back to when Jesus came out of the grave, a “mini-Easter,” if you will, or a weekly anniversary of that event. We also happen to have settled on 9:30 AM as the starting time. That seems to work right now. Others have an earlier time. Others a later time. As long as we are certain that it makes sense. We can have special midweek services for Thanksgiving or Lent. When it comes to our nutrition, it can be free of gluten or full of it.
Second: He “does so to the Lord” (Ro 14:6) or he “gives thanks to God” (Ro 14:6). God gets the honor and appreciation for all that we do. And not just in here, but at home. Whatever we do, the spotlight shines on him (Mt. 5:16; 1 Co 10:31; Col 3:17). We express our gratitude to him for his grace to us.
No matter what and no matter when, we are the Lord’s. “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Ro 14:8). God bought us with the blood of his Son. God brought us into his family through baptism. And now, with every breath, we belong to the Lord. He allows us to inhale and exhale. And in every death, we belong to the Lord. It is not as Job’s wife proposed to her suffering spouse boldly and defiantly: “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). But as Stephen prayed quietly and confidently: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). There and then we will be with Jesus in Paradise (Lk 23:43)—just like here and now. Living or dying does not change our relationship with Jesus.
Paul takes us to Jesus’ empty tomb: “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living” (Ro 14:9). Jesus is above all and over all. His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave are proof that his sacrifice was sufficient to pay for our sins and rule in our lives.
We live to the Lord then in Christian liberty. We can eat what we want and drink what we want. That is, as long as it is not harmful to my body or my neighbor. We want to be sensitive to that. And as long as we are sure that God gets the praise.
2. In Christian love (7)
While not perfect, we have a country that is good. We can show respect to it in different ways. So it is in our church community. We live to the Lord in Christian love.
We are not loners. “For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone” (Ro 14:7). Believers belong to the Lord and belong with one another.
This discussion is not theoretical, but practical. It doesn’t take too much convincing that we are sinners living with sinners. We sin against others and vice versa. God has forgiven that in Jesus. The psalmist David had us sing about that: “Praise the Lord, O my soul, … as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Ps 103:1,12).
Then the forgiven forgive. We can be like Joseph who did that with his brothers for selling him into slavery. (I have two brothers, doing that was not an option—at least not a possibility.) When they needed comfort, “he reassured them and spoke kindly to them” (Ge 50:21). He directed that to their suffering souls. “I forgive you as God forgives you.” And not one time, but again and again. In Jesus’ words: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22). And then with Jesus’ parable—the master who canceled billions of dollars in debt out of mercy. And then the opposite when the man couldn’t do that with an obligation of thousands. We live to the Lord in Christian love, imitating him as we send away sin as he does.
Some of us may be more emotional than others, at least outwardly as we wear it on our sleeves. And even at times we flirt with loneliness, we are not by ourselves. We have our faithful God and our fellow man. As we pass our time, we live to the Lord in Christian liberty—free to do what is pleasing to God—and in Christian love—forgiving as we have been forgiven. That is our life to our Savior. Amen.
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen (Ro 16:27).
October 1, 2017
Monday, September 18, 2017
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Psalm 121)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
We use comparisons to make concepts clear. Take life, for example. How do you define it or how do describe it? Life is …? There is more to it than inhaling and exhaling—breathing air in and blowing it out (although certainly part of it as well as essential to it).
So we use a picture. Life is a marathon. That makes sense as we make our way from our earthly home to our eternal one. It is not a short burst like a sprint, but a long haul like a 26.2 mile race. And how often don’t we feel out of shape and out of breath? So we call, “Lord, save me!” (Mt 14:30). And he stretches out his hand. Or we cry, “Lord, help me!” (Mt 15:25). And he sends us healing. We turn to the Lord for our strength and support.
Or we could take a cue from the psalmist. Life is a pilgrimage. That may not be as common and might require some explanation. A pilgrimage is a trip that a pilgrim undertakes.
That fits with Psalm 121. It has the heading “A song of ascents” (Ps 121). It is one of a collection of songs that carries that title (Ps 120-134). The Israelites may have used these hymns as they journeyed to Jerusalem for one of the great festivals on their calendar—Passover, Pentecost, or Tabernacles (Ex 34:24; Dt 16:16). That city was significant as they went there to worship. The temple was there—the visible presence of God among his people.
Obviously in the days before planes, trains, and automobiles, they did a lot of walking. And that could be hazardous. As they chanted, they were cheered. The Lord protects the pilgrim. That is true for us as we make our trek through life.
You go up to Jerusalem because it is like Denver, the mile high city. It is set on a high slope. It is not so strange that the psalmist starts by directing us to an elevation. “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” (Ps 121:1). But that question is ambiguous as far as assistance is concerned. We might take that in two ways:
Mountains could be a source of danger—the home of wild animals or cruel robbers.
Mountains could be a symbol of security. Think of a fortress standing tall on a peak. That sounds like the assurance that the Lord extended to his struggling prophet: “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the LORD” (Je 15:20).
Which is it—concern or comfort?
We are not left guessing. “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). He supplies what is needed. And note who he is.
He is “the LORD” (Ps 121:2) [5x in these verses]. His power does not crumble. His love does not erode. He does not change.
He is “the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). He brought the world into existence. If he can create it, he can care for it. That goes for all he has made. You. Me.
That is helpful to remember on our pilgrimage. He is present. And he is not just willing, but able to provide and protect. I might want to fix your car, but I don’t have the capability. There is nothing above and beyond “the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). Not even our sin as he sends the guilt away.
The rest of the verses are an ascending promise of protection for the pilgrim.
“He will not let your foot slip” (Ps 121:3). We have all tripped. That can be embarrassing. Especially when it is on a smooth surface like the living room carpet. That does not mean that the Lord has tripped up. How can we be so confident? “He who watches over you will not slumber” (Ps 121:3). Sleep is a blessing for us. It refreshes us and restores us. We require it, even request it. But not God. There is no power nap. There is no nodding off. He never stops watching. (That verb comes up 6x in this section. [It is translated either “watch” or “keep.”]) The Lord has his attention on us always and in all ways. And not as a casual spectator like when you watch a TV like a person getting supper ready, but as a concerned protector like a mother bending over the crib of her newborn to see if he is hungry or why he is hurting. And he is not some internet hacker trying to get your personal information or tracker who wants to extend your customer loyalty with pop up ads. But he is an intense guardian and guide.
The psalmist emphasizes that. It is almost as if he says, “Hey, look at this:” “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). There is no quick siesta. There are no eyes closing for the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. He is taking care of us carefully, intently, and diligently.
“The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (Ps 121:5,6). Israel is hot and sunny (kind of like Minnesota the second week of September this year). Cover is crucial when that fiery orb is in the sky. Exposure to the UV waves is not safe. Those who struggle with skin cancer because of pasty white skin instead of golden brown thus keeping dermatologists in business are very aware of that. So they put on sunscreen that is the consistency of mud. All to be sheltered from the harmful rays from the sun. But there is something worse—sin cancer. And it is deadly. But Jesus put himself between us and God to spare us the fatal reality our offences. That is why Jesus was so specific about his work as the Christ. “Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Mt 16:21). The Father caused our sin to strike his Son in our place. He endured the intense heat of punishment for us on the cross. Jesus has taken the awful affects away. He came out of the grave to prove it. Through Jesus we are protected from more than the real damage of sunburn or imagined threat from moonbeams.
“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life” (Ps 121:7). Maybe we have a question about that, specifically when we consider the recent natural disasters in the form of hurricanes. There has been devastation, if not death. What about that?, we wonder. But just because we don’t see the truth of that doesn’t mean it is not true. I may not understand that it is September 17th today. That doesn’t change the reality of the calendar. It is important for us to recall that the Lord can hold off evil or hold us up in evil (Ps 91: 9,10; Ro 8:28). But keep in mind that when we frequently pray, “Deliver us from evil,” he will ultimately answer that as he welcomes us to the place prepared at his side in heaven.
In the meantime, we now use our moments and our days as the apostle Paul encouraged us to serve him. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Ro 12:1).
And he is by us to bless us. “The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Ps 121:8). The Jew had come to Jerusalem and now was returning home. How special that thought was as he left the capital behind. Only one day to revisit. The Lord observes every step we take, perhaps going back all the way to our baptism when he adopted us into his family through baptism like he did with Stetson this morning, until we step into the perfect dwelling in paradise. The Lord watches over our coming and going both now and forevermore. That is because the Lord protects the pilgrim, even if life is a marathon.
We read from Psalm 121:1-8:
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (Ro 16:20). Amen.
September 17, 2017
We use comparisons to make concepts clear. Take life, for example. How do you define it or how do describe it? Life is …? There is more to it than inhaling and exhaling—breathing air in and blowing it out (although certainly part of it as well as essential to it).
So we use a picture. Life is a marathon. That makes sense as we make our way from our earthly home to our eternal one. It is not a short burst like a sprint, but a long haul like a 26.2 mile race. And how often don’t we feel out of shape and out of breath? So we call, “Lord, save me!” (Mt 14:30). And he stretches out his hand. Or we cry, “Lord, help me!” (Mt 15:25). And he sends us healing. We turn to the Lord for our strength and support.
Or we could take a cue from the psalmist. Life is a pilgrimage. That may not be as common and might require some explanation. A pilgrimage is a trip that a pilgrim undertakes.
That fits with Psalm 121. It has the heading “A song of ascents” (Ps 121). It is one of a collection of songs that carries that title (Ps 120-134). The Israelites may have used these hymns as they journeyed to Jerusalem for one of the great festivals on their calendar—Passover, Pentecost, or Tabernacles (Ex 34:24; Dt 16:16). That city was significant as they went there to worship. The temple was there—the visible presence of God among his people.
Obviously in the days before planes, trains, and automobiles, they did a lot of walking. And that could be hazardous. As they chanted, they were cheered. The Lord protects the pilgrim. That is true for us as we make our trek through life.
You go up to Jerusalem because it is like Denver, the mile high city. It is set on a high slope. It is not so strange that the psalmist starts by directing us to an elevation. “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” (Ps 121:1). But that question is ambiguous as far as assistance is concerned. We might take that in two ways:
Mountains could be a source of danger—the home of wild animals or cruel robbers.
Mountains could be a symbol of security. Think of a fortress standing tall on a peak. That sounds like the assurance that the Lord extended to his struggling prophet: “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the LORD” (Je 15:20).
Which is it—concern or comfort?
We are not left guessing. “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). He supplies what is needed. And note who he is.
He is “the LORD” (Ps 121:2) [5x in these verses]. His power does not crumble. His love does not erode. He does not change.
He is “the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). He brought the world into existence. If he can create it, he can care for it. That goes for all he has made. You. Me.
That is helpful to remember on our pilgrimage. He is present. And he is not just willing, but able to provide and protect. I might want to fix your car, but I don’t have the capability. There is nothing above and beyond “the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps 121:2). Not even our sin as he sends the guilt away.
The rest of the verses are an ascending promise of protection for the pilgrim.
“He will not let your foot slip” (Ps 121:3). We have all tripped. That can be embarrassing. Especially when it is on a smooth surface like the living room carpet. That does not mean that the Lord has tripped up. How can we be so confident? “He who watches over you will not slumber” (Ps 121:3). Sleep is a blessing for us. It refreshes us and restores us. We require it, even request it. But not God. There is no power nap. There is no nodding off. He never stops watching. (That verb comes up 6x in this section. [It is translated either “watch” or “keep.”]) The Lord has his attention on us always and in all ways. And not as a casual spectator like when you watch a TV like a person getting supper ready, but as a concerned protector like a mother bending over the crib of her newborn to see if he is hungry or why he is hurting. And he is not some internet hacker trying to get your personal information or tracker who wants to extend your customer loyalty with pop up ads. But he is an intense guardian and guide.
The psalmist emphasizes that. It is almost as if he says, “Hey, look at this:” “Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). There is no quick siesta. There are no eyes closing for the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. He is taking care of us carefully, intently, and diligently.
“The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night” (Ps 121:5,6). Israel is hot and sunny (kind of like Minnesota the second week of September this year). Cover is crucial when that fiery orb is in the sky. Exposure to the UV waves is not safe. Those who struggle with skin cancer because of pasty white skin instead of golden brown thus keeping dermatologists in business are very aware of that. So they put on sunscreen that is the consistency of mud. All to be sheltered from the harmful rays from the sun. But there is something worse—sin cancer. And it is deadly. But Jesus put himself between us and God to spare us the fatal reality our offences. That is why Jesus was so specific about his work as the Christ. “Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Mt 16:21). The Father caused our sin to strike his Son in our place. He endured the intense heat of punishment for us on the cross. Jesus has taken the awful affects away. He came out of the grave to prove it. Through Jesus we are protected from more than the real damage of sunburn or imagined threat from moonbeams.
“The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life” (Ps 121:7). Maybe we have a question about that, specifically when we consider the recent natural disasters in the form of hurricanes. There has been devastation, if not death. What about that?, we wonder. But just because we don’t see the truth of that doesn’t mean it is not true. I may not understand that it is September 17th today. That doesn’t change the reality of the calendar. It is important for us to recall that the Lord can hold off evil or hold us up in evil (Ps 91: 9,10; Ro 8:28). But keep in mind that when we frequently pray, “Deliver us from evil,” he will ultimately answer that as he welcomes us to the place prepared at his side in heaven.
In the meantime, we now use our moments and our days as the apostle Paul encouraged us to serve him. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Ro 12:1).
And he is by us to bless us. “The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Ps 121:8). The Jew had come to Jerusalem and now was returning home. How special that thought was as he left the capital behind. Only one day to revisit. The Lord observes every step we take, perhaps going back all the way to our baptism when he adopted us into his family through baptism like he did with Stetson this morning, until we step into the perfect dwelling in paradise. The Lord watches over our coming and going both now and forevermore. That is because the Lord protects the pilgrim, even if life is a marathon.
We read from Psalm 121:1-8:
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (Ro 16:20). Amen.
September 17, 2017
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