"Take What's Yours!"
St Matthew 17.1-9; II Peter 1.16-21; Exodus 3.1-6; Psalm 84;
the Sermon preached at St Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church—UAC
for Septuagesima
by the Rev. Frederick E. Davison, Pastor
January 20, 2008
+ + +
Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus the Lord. [Amen.]
The sermon speaks from the Gospel appointed with particular focus on
these words of our Saviour,
"Take what is yours!"
Thus far our text. Please sit.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the
Holy Ghost. [Amen.]
"It's just not fair!" I'd cry out with all the hurt and anguish I
could muster. My mother quickly quipped, "You're right. Now, give it
back to your brother." By grade three the lesson learned, I had it
there firmly planted: Life *isn't* fair! And that said I was braced
to take on the rest of the world.
Face to face with the world, the lesson seemed always to play out. The
school bullies picked on the weak. And when one could gather the
courage to strike back, it was *that* the teacher caught from the
corner of her eye. And young Frederick was pulled forward. He got his
first public "swatting." The teacher's paddle reinforced mother's more
gentle "in *this* world, life *isn't* fair!
Eegads! I began to figure it out. Later, Disney *tried* to teach
different singing "Circle of life." But glamour and glitz aside, the
world I observed looked different. In my world, Dog ate cute cat. Cat
ate itty bitty fishes. Fish eat itty bitty bugs, and on and on it
goes. . Disney's "life" circle was instead Circle of Death. Poombah
didn't "get" Scar. So even in Disney, was the sideline story, "*That*
isn't fair" seemed to be the maxim of all life.
And so goes it our Father's Good Kingdom. God—today's "Husbandman—He
isn't fair either! That *is* today's message. Though life would have
you believe an eye for eye, and tooth for a tooth; Good wages for good
work; Good outcomes for gallant striving. In the end, Jesus tells us
with men, God doesn't deal fairly. In the Master's Vineyard, hard work
is NOT king.
Our Gospel's Lord treats His servants quite unfairly. He pays His
payroll strangely. To those who haven't earned it, He says, "Take,
now, what is yours…"
When you heard the parable spoken, at the end, what was *your*
judgment? Yes, of the workers, in the end? Perhaps there is our
message. We see there our counterparts. We see their men we can
befriend. For are not we, every whit like them? Are not we,
still—though our hearts strive against it—are not we still found
guilty of sin?
Who of us, though we do love Him, who of us loves God purely? Not in
one point found guilty of sin? James says that if we are found guilty
in one part we are guilty of the whole law. Is there any here among
us, who is not guilty of at least one? Who among us in our worship of
God this week has not faltered? Of husbands, who has not in one
thought betrayed your vows to your dear wives? I have no doubt that
there's not a single one who has acted out on our base thoughts, but
who has done all—to the giving of your life—to uphold, protect,
provide for, and give all to your dear wives?
And wives, which of you this week have not at least once thought
badly, or less of, indeed, which of you did not at least in thought
think your husbands a bit foolish, or spoken brashly, or
disrespectfully at least once in your mind?
And children, have you obeyed your parents in *everything*-- yes, not
just deeds, but thoughts, word, and deed? Which of you have not at
least once in your mind grumbled against, "clean it up," "brush your
teeth," "go to bed," or "be still"? Which of you have not disobeyed in
your heart, the command of God to honor?
Okay, have any of you failed to ask a blessing at every mealtime, or
to give thanks upon being done? Have any failed to pray for all the
shut ins? Any failed to pray for me daily? You see the list goes on
and on. God says plainly, There is none who is righteous, "no, not
one."
We are all declared sinful. All sinned, All fall short of His Glory.
We MUST conclude that God deals with us unfairly. There's not a one of
us, who is not sure of our ends' outcome.
God says it plainly in today's Gospel, "Take what is yours." Heaven is
here for all who will believe Him. There is not one of you—not one
single one who is omitted. For the "all who have sinned" are also
"freely justified by His grace."
All who sinned. . . are freely justified. Christ Jesus died for the
sins of the whole world. His "Father forgive them" is not just for a
few. Yes, many are called. Few are chosen. But the Call goes to all.
That some will refuse Him, is not to be laid at God's choosing. As He
says in our parable, Is your eye evil because I am good?
God deals out forgiveness apart from their goodness, their striving,
their inwardly being ready to receive. God wills all men to come to
knowledge of the Truth. Yet some don't. Are we to lay that on God's
conscience? God forbid.
Any who refuse to believe that God deals with us unfairly, it is you
who are at offense. God forgives us who are sinners. He would forgive
all if they would only believe. If my judgment of all of you is
somehow erring—if there is any who before now has not believed.
Believe it now.
God deals with all those who are in His Vineyard the same. He gives
from the greatest to the least one Gift—His Son and His righteousness.
He gives Him to you and to me especially; we who know better and yet
do not always do it. If He can give to us Heaven, can He not also give
it to you, who all this time really have not all that well believed?
Believe today more rightly. God deals with us unfairly because He has
dealt unfairly with His Son. Upon Him, the wrath WE earned was poured
on him. He offered Himself, by the power of the Spirit before God as
our sin offering and in its' place has placed One Loaf—His Body—the
Bread of Heaven, which when Broken is Given, A communion in the Body
of Christ. And the cup, the Father's wrath and indignation, "Why has
thou forsaken Me?" He drank it. And in its' place, He gives this Cup,
the Cup of Blessing, Communion in the Blood of Christ. "Yes, He says,
"Take what is yours." Indeed, ya;ll come now, and get it.
One Baptism, One Faith, One Lord, One God and Saviour of us all; One
Cup, One Loaf, the Very Blood and Body of the Savior. If He can "come
through doors having been locked on account of fear of the Jews" How
can Jesus Body pass through a wooden door? I don't know. How can Jesus
Body be seated at the right hand of the Father and yet also be
"Communion in the Body of Jesus" both places at the same time? Again,
I don't know. But that's what the Word says.
I believe. Join me. Come, "take what's yours?" no longer sinners in
the hand of an angry God, but sinners redeemed for Jesus' sake,
[Amen.]
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Ghost, [Amen.]
The peace that passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus! [Amen.]
--
the Rev. Frederick E Davison, Pastor
St Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church--UAC
the Pastor's E Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
the Pastor's Cell: 608-475-0860
Box 230 23357 CR AA
Richland Center, WI 53581
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"For the question is not (to borrow words from Cyprian) what someone
before us has done but what He who is before all both did before and
commanded us to do." Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of
Trent, vol. II, p. 250.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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