Posted on Sunday, February 8, 2009
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SEPTUAGESIMA

8 February Anno + Domini 2009

"Working in the Vineyard of Grace”

Matthew 20:1-16

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

What does the kingdom of heaven look like?  It looks like a foolish Owner of a vineyard who does not reward His workers in accordance with their works.  He doesn't give his workers what they deserve, but what they don't deserve.  He is good and generous to all, rewarding the last the same as the first.  According to human logic, it makes absolutely no sense; it is completely illogical and unfair.  "Yes,” says the Landowner, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  Fairness and equity are not the guiding principles of this Landowner's vineyard, for His is the vineyard of undeserved favor - the vineyard of grace! 

It doesn't matter whether one has been called to work in the Vineyard at the first hour or the eleventh hour.  All receive the same compensation of forgiveness, life, and salvation.  That's because the compensation is not based on how long or how hard the workers in the Vineyard work, but solely on the Work of the only One who ever worked perfectly in the Vineyard, namely Jesus Christ.  He alone lived a perfect, sinless life, fulfilling God's Law completely, loving God with all His heart and His neighbors (all people) more than Himself.  He alone lived a life of complete service, exemplified most clearly on Mt. Calvary, where He willingly suffered and died for the sins of all people of all time.  It is upon His Work, and His Work alone, that the compensation of the workers in the Vineyard is based. 

So it is that you have been taught to know and understand that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  This is most certainly true.  Our salvation is not based on our work, but on Christ's Work on our behalf.  If it was based on our work, we would surely all be doomed.  If the Owner of the Vineyard paid us what we deserved, we would receive only His temporal and eternal wrath and punishment, as we rightly confess each week here in the Divine Service.  Thus, we thank God that He does not pay us what we deserve, but what His Son has earned on our behalf by taking the wrath and punishment we deserve for our sins upon Himself on the cross.  So we sing with great joy:  "Salvation unto us has come By God's free grace and favor; Good works cannot avert our doom, They help and save us never.  Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone, Who did for all the world atone; He is our one Redeemer.” 

But, dear friends, none of this means that we don't work.  We have talked about this a lot in Bible Study recently, as we've been discussing our Lutheran Confessions.  We are saved by faith alone, but faith is never alone.  Faith bears fruit.  Faith produces good works.  Faith is a living, active thing, never static or idle.  Faith does.  Faith lives.  Faith breathes.  Faith serves.  This, too, we learn from the parable put before us this morning, for notice that the compensation the workers receive is not the only thing they all have in common.  They all work, too.  That's why they're called into the Vineyard - to work!    

The question put by the Owner of the Vineyard is an important one:  "Why do you stand here idle all day?”  When put to those outside the vineyard, the answer can indeed be:  "Because no one has hired us.”  But what when it is put to those inside the vineyard?  For it would truly be a terrible thing for one to accept the invitation to work in the vineyard, and then to stand around, doing squat!

So in the Vineyard of the Lord there are none who can rightly say:  "I'm just here to watch.”  In the Vineyard of the Lord, all are called upon to work!  In the Vineyard of the Lord, there is more work to get done than we can hope to finish, so our Lord says to us:  "We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no man can work.” (John 9:4)

But what does it mean to work in the Vineyard of the Lord? Does it not mean for each and every baptized person to be at work doing the great task which Christ has laid on His Church and His ministers? "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20)

That obviously does not mean that you as individual Christians are called to go around baptizing and teaching. Rightly does our Augsburg Confession state that: "No one should teach publicly in the church or administer the sacraments unless properly called." (Article XIV) What it does mean, however, is that the Lord of the Church sends forth every member of the Church with the mission of calling and inviting others to come and receive the life that He died and rose again to bestow upon them. He gives that life through the preaching of His Gospel and the giving out of His sacraments. He gives that life away right here in the assembly of His people. So, the great task that is laid on each and every Christian in helping the Church fulfill her Lord's mandate is to support the ministry and mission with their time, talents, and treasures as best they can, and to invite, urge, encourage, cajole every person they know that is not connected to the life of Christ to come and share in that life, to come and receive what Christ would give.

We seem to have lost sight of this in our day and age.  We have been guilty of taking the Gospel of our Lord for granted, of turning it into "cheap grace.”  We've heard "faith alone” so much, we have come to the conclusion that faith is alone, that it excludes good works.  But, hear this well, dear friends, if faith is alone to the exclusion of good works, it is not faith at all.  The Owner of the Vineyard does not call workers to lounge around and revel in the fact that He has called them into His Vineyard.  No, He calls them in to work.  To "let their lights shine,” to "proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness and into His marvelous light.” 

This is what St. Paul is getting at in the epistle this morning.  Living the Christian life is like running a race to obtain a prize.  That prize is already guaranteed by Christ's perfect life and sacrificial death to all those who run in this race.  But, they run, nonetheless.  They don't sit on the sidelines and watch the race.  They run.  They fight the good fight of the faith.  They strive with all their might to serve God and neighbor.  They support the ministry and mission of their Lord's Church and go out and invite others to come and receive the forgiveness, life, and salvation they have received through Christ.  They love their brothers and sisters in Christ and do everything they can to show them that love.  And when they fail at running the race, when they fall down on the track, they repent and turn to God for mercy through Christ, and He forgives them, picks them up, and puts them back on the track so that they can get back into the race. 

Our Lord says that we will recognize fellow workers in His Vineyard by the fruit that they bear.  How does your fruit look, dear friends?  Each one of us needs to constantly be asking ourselves that question.  We are beginning a transition in the Church Year this morning which will lead us into the season of Lent in a few weeks, when we are called upon to examine ourselves closely to see how our fruit-bearing is going.  But, such self-examination is not reserved solely for a season in the Church Year, but is something that daily needs to be done by every one of us. 

So, again, how does the fruit you bear look?  Are you supporting the ministry and mission of your Lord's Church as best you can?  Are you inviting others to come and receive the Divine Gifts you've received here in the Lord's Vineyard?  Are you serving in whatever capacity you can, out of love for God and love for neighbor?  These are important questions.  Don't take them lightly.  You cannot mock God.  He knows your hearts. 

The Good News is that He stands ever-ready to forgive you.  This Owner of this Vineyard is gracious beyond imagination.  No matter how rotten your fruit might be, He is willing to forgive and forget.  Repent and turn again to the Lord is His call, for He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast mercy and love.  He welcomes you back with open arms, remembering not how bad your fruit has been, but renewing it for the sake of the Good Fruit that is His Son and your Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Come, then, dear friends in Christ, heed the call of the Owner of the Vineyard, come to the Table of the Lord in true repentance and faith.  Come with the desire to be forgiven and renewed, that by the Lord's very Body and Blood, you may be strengthened and preserved in the faith that shows itself forth in good fruit.  Come and be strengthened for the race, that you may depart in peace, with a clean slate to go out and work in the Lord's Vineyard, supporting its ministry and mission, and inviting others to come and receive the compensation given to all workers in the Vineyard - forgiveness, life, and salvation.  Lord, grant this unto us all.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.  Amen.