Printable PDF:  11-26-2020 Thanksgiving Sermon

Pastor Mark R Jacobson ~ THANKSGIVING  

November 26, 2020 ~ Acts 27:35

³⁵After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all.  Then he broke it and began to eat.

GIVING THANKS TO GOD

“Are you sure YOU want to be giving thanks to God?” If I were on the ship with the Apostle Paul, I think I might be asking that question. I wouldn’t ask that question out loud. Heavens no! No Christian would ask that question out loud. And yet on the ship, with all that adversity, the question would definitely cross my mind, “Are you sure YOU want to be giving thanks to God?”

1. In spite of adversity

The Apostle Paul was on his way to Rome to stand trial for preaching the gospel. The Apostle Paul along with Luke left Jerusalem and boarded a small ship in Caesarea. They made their way north and west along the coast to the city of Sidon and then Myra. In Myra Paul and Luke were transferred to a large ship with 276 passengers. The intention was to sail past Cnidus and through the many small islands of Greece, but a strong north wind drove their ship south to the island of Crete. In the city of Lasea a decision needed to be made. Should the ship winter in Lasea or travel to a better harbor about 50 miles up the coast? Paul, even though he was a prisoner, was a part of the conversation. Having completed 3 missionary journeys, Paul was an experienced traveler and had already been a part of three shipwrecks. Paul suggested they stay put, but the pilot and the owner of the ship thought they should push on and so they did. Soon after they set sail, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster took them into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

The crew passed thick ropes under the ship to prevent their planks from popping apart. On the second and third days the crews threw cargo and equipment overboard to lighten their load and keep the deck from being overtaken by water. Luke writes in Acts 27:20, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” What a 14-day journey they had been on!

We’ve been on quite a journey, too, this year! And who knows when it will end? Are you sure YOU want to be giving thanks to God? The Apostle Paul once wrote to the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Another person summarized those words this way: “We are to give thanks for both candy bars and dill pickles.” How easy it is to thank God for “candy bars,” for those things which taste sweet and bring joy to our lives. But how hard it can be at times to thank God for “dill pickles,” those things which taste sour and which make us pucker in distaste for life. For the Christian, though, both come from the hand of a gracious God, and for both of them thanks are in order.

Storms have a way of destroying our ship of self-importance. The pilot and owner were confident they could make it to a safe harbor. The seasoned sailors thought they knew all the tricks to keep a ship afloat. But in the end they weren’t as smart or as strong as they thought. They gave up all hope of being saved. In the same way our coronavirus storm of 2020 is doing a good job of destroying our ship of self-importance, too. Against popular belief, science will not solve our medical issues. Against popular belief, the right political leaders do not have the right answers to our local and national problems. Like the 276 passengers on that Alexandrian ship, we can’t be saved from the coronavirus or anything through our own smarts and strength. On our own, we couldn’t even put a meal on the Thanksgiving table today. Today, we give thanks for these “dill pickles” because through adversity we learn again and again how dependent we are to God for all that we have and all that we need.

2. Because of his promised blessings

God does his best work when we give up on the idea that we can save ourselves through our own smarts and through our own strength. God is our provider, and he will give us our “dill pickles” when they best serve us, and God will give us our “candy bars” at the proper time because of his promised blessings.

On the ship God said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you” (Acts 27:24). God provided that “candy bar” to Paul and the other 275 passengers.

God provides for us, too. In his grace and goodness, God doles out the king size and fun size candy bars. The king size candy bars are our eternal blessings. God gifts us with salvation and eternal life. God so loved the world, he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God forgives our sins and doesn’t even hold a grudge against us. The Bible quotes God as saying, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34b). God wants us to live with the calm and confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and no one can snatch us from his hand. These eternal blessings are king size “candy bars”!

And God provides us fun size “candy bars”, too. The fun size candy bars are our temporal blessings. God promises as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. God heals all our diseases. Whether God does that healing through the good, old practice of divine miracles or the slower practice of modern medicine is up to him. God is in charge. The Bible says all things are under his feet. Whether God rules over us through a theocracy as he once did with the Israelites with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar fire at night or whether God rules over us through a democracy of choosing between weak and mortal people as God does now, God will faithfully rule all things for the benefit of believers. God is also the one who puts the food on our tables, so don’t test him. Don’t think you bought the food or cook the food with your own strength and smarts. God in his wisdom can take away those blessings, too. Everything that is good comes from God, and everything that isn’t good, God will make good for those who believe in him.

“Are you sure YOU want to join the alliance of people giving thanks to God?” Absolutely you do! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Amen.

Printable PDF:  Saints Triumphant – p. 15, Common Service, Communion

Pastor Mark R Jacobson  ~  Saints Triumphant Sermon  ~  November 15, 2020  ~  Matthew 25:1-13

A Parable to the Wise Christians  

¹“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. ¹¹“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹²“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Today is Saints Triumphant. We’ve already read the names of those who have transferred their membership from Grace Lutheran Church on earth to Saints Triumphant in heaven. On this day we also think about our family members and close friends who are home with the Lord in heaven. In a sense today is a sad day. We miss those members, and we miss our loved ones. Yet today is also a day of hopeful anticipation. On Saints Triumphant we pause and ponder that time when Jesus will make good on his promise to come back on the last day in the same way he left on his ascension and take all believers to be where he is. On that day all believers will be with Jesus in Paradise. Never again will they hunger. Never again will they thirst… God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16).

Such a splendid outcome comes to us and all people through the means of the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ and what he does to save people. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). The stakes are high. Faith in Jesus is the dividing line between eternal life in heaven and eternal damnation in hell. There is nothing more important in all the world than your faith in Jesus Christ. That’s why our Gospel today on Saint’s Triumphant is a word to the wise, a parable to the wise Christians. Be prepared to believe for the long haul.

1. Be prepared to believe for the long haul.

Jesus starts, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” The wedding custom of this parable is a little different than our wedding customs. The key difference is time. Our bridal couples sign the wedding certificate and enjoy the wedding celebration all in one day. In the parable, those two steps usually took a period of months. A point of interest:  Mary and Joseph were between these two steps when Mary learned she was to have a child, which was why Joseph at first considered a quiet divorce when he learned Mary was pregnant.

The ten virgins or bridesmaids in Jesus’ parable were looking for the coming of the bridegroom and the wedding celebration. If the bridegroom arrived in a timely manner everything would have been fine for all ten, but as you can already envision, the bridegroom was a long time in coming and so there was a potential problem percolating for 5 of those 10 bridesmaids. The five foolish bridesmaids had not prepared for such a delay. The five wise bridesmaids were prepared for the long haul.

A parable to the wise Christians, be prepared for the long haul. Don’t gamble with the fuel of your faith. There are times when I gamble with the propane of my gas grill. I know I should use charcoal like my father. The food tastes better, but I sacrificed taste for convenience a long time ago, and my conscience has accepted that. The trouble with propane, though, is you never really know how much propane is left. It’s good to have a spare and I do have a spare, but sometimes the spare propane tank is empty when the propane on the grill is empty. A propane gap is a bummer for dinner. A faith gap can be damning for a sinner.

That’s why Jesus is calling for wisdom. Are you a wise Christian or are you a foolish Christian? Will you be a faithful Christian all the days of your life, or will there be gaps in the flame of your faith? There are times when our faith is like a smoldering wick. During our tough times we can burn through faith faster than a RV burns through fuel on the freeway. We are tempted to lose our confidence in God and our patience with people. Tough times are tough, but good times can be even tougher. When life is good it’s easier to lose our humility before God and our appreciation of people. And yet God in his grace promises a bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out (Isaiah 42:3). This promise of grace is connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what made you a believer in the first place. That same gospel will one day transfer you from a believer on earth to a saint in heaven. And that same gospel is what fuels your faith now as you struggle to live for God all the days of your life. He will not leave you nor forsake. When tempted, he will provide a way out. When you are weak, He is strong. His power is made perfect in weakness. And that’s good because other people cannot believe for you.

2. Other people cannot believe for you.

Jesus continues his parable, ⁶“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ The Bible encourages sharing and in a real life scenario the bridesmaids would share their oil, but in the parable the oil represents faith in Jesus and you cannot share your faith. Each person must believe for himself. A wife cannot give some of her faith to her husband. Neither can grandparents believe their grandchildren into heaven. We can’t share the oil of our faith, but like the 5 wise bridesmaids, we can share the words of our mouth. What words would you share to someone who has a flickering faith? Go to church? Go to church when it’s safe? Watch the livestream? Watch the recording? Watch the recording by Saturday? There is a danger when we gather for church. It’s called Coronavirus. There is also a danger when we don’t gather for church. It’s called unbelief. On Sunday mornings, we are missing more than cookies and coffee. We are also missing Christian conversation, and I fear the damage is more than we realize. Come to church or join a Bible class or make an appointment for private communion. Don’t shut off every opportunity to have a Christian interaction because of the risk of coronavirus. Be encouraged in a real person-to-person way and encourage each other. The damage of unbelief is far greater than the damage of coronavirus. Your time of grace and the time of grace of other people will come to an end.

3. Your time of grace will come to an end.

Jesus closes his parable, ¹⁰“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. ¹¹“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ ¹²“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Again, at a normal wedding banquet, latecomers will still find their place at their table, but at the wedding supper of the lamb there will be no late admissions. So check the oil of your faith! Do you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God who gave his life for your sins? Those who do will want to rid their lives of sin with the same eagerness as they would rid their house of mice. That means you won’t make excuses for how you have been lazy with your prayer life and your Bible-reading life.

The point of Jesus’ parable is to be ready at any time. Make sure you are ready in the future as well. Don’t have any gaps in your devotion to Jesus. That’s God’s Word to the wise, a parable to the wise Christians who will surely celebrate at the wedding supper of the Lamb with all the triumphant saints who have gone before us. Amen.

Printable PDF:  11-1-2020 Reformation 2020

David R. Clark  ~  Mark 10:46-52  ~  November 2, 2020  ~  Reformation

WHEN JESUS COMES TO TOWN

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” ⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Dear friends in our Savior Jesus,

          I want to start this morning by thanking all of you who sent me cards, texts, emails and especially for those of you who prayed for me. It was truly appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am healing quickly and doing fine.

          With that said, I learned a few things during the past three weeks that I never expected to learn. I learned that daytime TV is HORRIBLE! I was also amazed at 10-12 phone calls every day from people running for office. That doesn’t count the 4-5 cards in the mail every day and the commercials. It also seems that our presidential candidates think Arizona is the place to visit. Over and over again they have come to town and reporters dutifully show people excited and inspired by their candidates.

          Jesus had that experience in Jericho. You know Jericho in the Old Testament as the place where the walls came tumbling down. In the New Testament Jericho had a reputation as a low city. It’s almost 800 feet below sea level, close to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. But it was also low because the people who tended to live there were not the respectable part of society. So when Jesus came to town, the people were excited and agitated and provoked and inspired.

1. People got shook up!

          ⁴⁶ As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” ⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

          Being blind meant a challenging existence. Bartimaeus couldn’t work, so he begged. If he got a handout, he ate. If he didn’t get a handout, he didn’t eat. People were used to hearing him beg but they didn’t want him raising a ruckus when this celebrity, Jesus, came to town. Then Jesus shook everything up. Bartimaeus called out to Jesus. Jesus answered and everything changed.

          Bartimaeus threw off his cloak and came as quickly as a blind man could. Jesus healed his blind eyes but more importantly, he healed his blind heart. The man believed and his life changed. When Jesus came to town, the gospel shook things up.

2. Martin Luther shook things up.

          There was blindness at the time of Martin Luther too. But the greatest blindness was spiritual. They had churches and worship services and choirs and organs and clergy but still were spiritually blind. So the church came up with all kinds of tricks to get people involved, tricks like promising people they could get their dead relatives into heaven for a certain amount of money.

          Then Jesus came to town. Martin Luther learned through the Bible that people are saved by faith alone apart from anything we do and he began to preach that message to eliminate the spiritual blindness of his time. Many who were spiritually blind called out to Jesus. Jesus called them to be his own and everything changed.

          Clergy preached the forgiveness of sins through Jesus and people rejoiced. Offerings were given but out of a thankful heart to Jesus. Gathering together in worship became a blessed privilege. The gospel shook people up.

3. We still get shook up.

          The gospel still shakes people up today. There are so many people, even spiritual people, who walk around spiritually blind. Paul describes them as (2 Ti 3:5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Without Jesus, without the gospel, they are lost and don’t even know it.

          By nature we are all spiritually blind beggars. So what has happened in your life since we learned what corona virus was? Does your family worship hour have the same prominence today that it had? Do you still rejoice and participate in the fellowship of your church in whatever way you are able to celebrate it? Are the sacraments a priority? Or are you more focused on local and national elections than you are on your spiritual life? Just like those people in Jericho, we can become spiritually blind spectators – that is, until Jesus comes to town.

To be clear, Jesus is here calling each of us out of our spiritual blindness. He is here to touch our hearts and give us hope. He is here to show us the nail holes in his hands and feet, to show us the marks of his love. He is here in the sacrament and whenever two or three of us come together in his name. He is here ruling over our lives and the world for our benefit. Jesus is also here today shaking us all up through his gospel.

          On Tuesday people to elect those who will be God’s servants. If you have not voted, please do so. But as important as your vote is, please do not lose sight of the most important thing in your life! One of the last things Martin Luther wrote, which was found after he died was this:  “We are all beggars.”  Continuing to hear the gospel of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins through him alone is what we need the most. Our focus is on restoring sight to the spiritually blind, healing the hurts of the broken-hearted, and shaking the apathetic from their indifference. That is what happens when Jesus comes to town. Amen.

Printable PDF:  10-18-2020 Pentecost 20 Sermon

Pastor Wagenknecht ~ Pentecost 20 ~ October 18, 2020 ~ Philippians 3:12-21

PRESS ON

If we live, we live to the Lord; if we die, we die to the Lord; whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. – Romans 14:8

Paul wrote those words to the Romans six years before he was in prison before Caesar. The words in our text from Philippians were written while in prison toward the end of his two years under guard, and he was expecting to soon be released and to come back to Philippi. This epistle to the Philippians is one of encouragement and joy.

In Philippians 1, Paul wrote “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” In Philippians 2, Paul wrote “If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any affection and compassion,” then imitate the humble attitude of Christ, who humbled himself unto death, even death on a cross. Here in Philippians 3, Paul wrote “Press on toward the goal” – the goal of heaven.

Already when I was in grade school here at Grace, I believed “to die is gain,” “if we die, we belong to the Lord.” Probably about 6^th grade we were studying time, days, months, years, and we thought about the year 2000. I wondered if I would ever live till 2000, I would be 60 years old by then.  Wow! Well, I made it by the grace of God. I was ready to die, because I knew Christ my Lord. Philippians 1:21 – For me to live is Christ; to die is gain. To live for Christ or depart to be with Christ. I’m pulled in two directions. Paul wrote that to die and be with the Lord was better by far, but he also realized he had a calling to live on for the sake of the believers in Philippi. I suppose that is why I lived till 2000 – to serve.

So now I press on, and I even lived till 2020 – Like Paul, I have remained in the flesh to serve Christ – to fill in today for Pastor Clark. If I live past 2020, Paul today reminds me to PRESS ON.  Press on toward the goal of heaven in the power of Christ.

1. PRESS ON toward the goal of heaven.

Today’s epistle reading in Philippians 3:14 tells us “I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” That upward call from Jesus is, “Come, follow me, and I will give you the crown of life. He told us “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me will live” John 11:25. Paul wrote “We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us…I am convinced that neither life nor death…nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37ff. Whether we live or die we belong to the Lord. And especially to die is gain!

In Philippians 3:11 Paul tells us to press on toward this call, which he says is “the hope that he will arrive at the resurrection of the dead.” That is the goal we are talking about. The resurrection to eternal life in heaven. “Not that we have already obtained this or have already reached the goal.” We are still living here in 2020, so now we press on walking according to the pattern we gave you. That pattern was in the epistle reading from last Sunday, Philippians 2:5 – Let this attitude be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. We are to imitate Christ’s humility and consider others better than ourselves. We are to look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others. Although he was God, he emptied himself and became fully human, and went to the cross for us. We are to imitate that humility. “Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as something to be displayed, but he emptied himself taking the nature of a servant and was born in human likeness” Philippians 2:1-4. In the same way that Jesus pressed on toward Calvary, toward the resurrection, and toward the return to his glory in heaven we are to press on toward the goal of living for Christ here, heading for heaven, and living with him in glory forever. In these days of 2020 we need to press on in serving others; press on with the masks and distancing; press on without fear of illness or death; press on, persevere, keep on keeping on.

In verse 9 of this third chapter between last week’s epistle and today’s epistle, Paul writes about how we can reach that goal. I know Christ Jesus my LORD…not having a righteousness of my own, which is from the law, but that righteousness which comes through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God by faith. Not by works of the law, but by faith in Christ’s works. We reach that goal of heaven on the strength of the righteousness of Christ, and not by our keeping the law.

2. PRESS ON in the power of Christ.

Verse 12 of our text reads, Not that I have already reached the goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of me. Christ reached down and took hold of us. We were sinking down, and he pulled us up. Here on earth our daily struggles will continue until we die. We nightly pitch our moving tent a day’s march nearer home. Find strength to persevere in Christ. Paul encouraged the Philippians in 1:6, “I am convinced that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” What was begun in baptism, encouraged in Sunday school, prayed for by your parents and god-parents, guided in every sermon you have heard, will be completed when you gain heaven through death.

After Christ humbled himself unto death, paid for our sins, and called us heavenward, God highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name that, “at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD” Philippians 2:10. This mighty Jesus is the one who gives us the power to press on.

How do we press on? In the power of Christ…

1. Get up in the morning and thank God for another day of Grace.
2. Read or meditate on some of God’s promises that he will be with you today.
3. Pray for his strength, “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.”
4. Conduct yourself in a way that is worthy of the Gospel letting your light shine.
5. Press on all day making deliberately loving decisions. Tell yourself over and over, “Press on!”
6. Take some time to read through the four chapters of Philippians.
7. Find in this letter the encouragement: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!”

The last verses of our text remind us that “Our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the LORD Jesus Christ. By the power that enables him to control all things he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.” See why “to die is gain.” Jesus will transform this weak, sickly, aging body into a glorious, perfect, eternal body. Amen

Let me close with these words from next Sunday’s epistle:

“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:7.

Printable PDF:  10-4-2020 Pentecost 18 Sermon

David R. Clark  ~  Matthew 20:1-16  ~  October 4, 2020  ~  Pentecost 18

THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER THAN “FAIR”

¹“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ²He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. ³“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ⁷“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ ⁸“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ ⁹“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹²‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ ¹³“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Dear friends in our Savior Jesus,

“Life isn’t fair.” How many times have you told your children that or been told that yourself? We repeat it so often is seems to be a core value of American life.

But as much as we agree this is true, deep down, don’t we really believe life should be fair? You can hear this underlying theme in many of the political races going on right now. What is in your heart when it doesn’t turn out the way you would like? Perhaps you have found yourself saying, “What did I do to deserve that?” Or, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Perhaps the problem is not in circumstances. Perhaps the problem is in us. Being a Christian means believing there is something better than “fair.”

That isn’t easy! Jesus’ disciples had their own ideas about fair which led him to tell them this parable.

An employer went down to the marketplace, the business section of town, to hire people to work for him for the day. He was paying the going rate, a denarius, and all that he wanted from them was an honest day’s work. When he saw the amount of work he had, he went back to the marketplace and hired even more men. He agreed to be fair with them. He hired additional people at 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.

When 6:00 p.m. rolled around, his foreman lined the men up with those he had hired last being paid first and those he hired first being paid last. Much to their astonishment, he gave each of the men who had been hired at 5:00 p.m. and had only done a single hour’s work, a denarius. He did the same for all those who had worked less than a full day’s.

The men who had worked the full day saw this and expected that since all of these other guys had received a full day’s pay for less than a day’s work, they would probably receive more. But, in fact, he gave each of them the same pay. They grumbled about this. The landowner explained:  ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ (Matthew 20:13-15)

This parable is difficult to understand if we don’t look at its context. In the previous chapter we find two significant events which led Jesus to tell this parable. The first is a rich young man who came to him and wished to justify himself. Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²²When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Matthew 19:21-22) As they saw him go away sad, the disciples were confused. “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Matthew 19:27) In effect, both were saying, “That isn’t fair.”

Sometimes people have that same problem today, too. It would be as if they said, “I was baptized, confirmed, and married here, but someone who has been a member for six months who repented of an outwardly sinful life has all the benefits I do.” That’s what the rich young man said and why Jesus told this parable for you and me.

That’s one example, but it shows that in our hearts, we still believe we are earning something or deserve something, and we aren’t quite getting what we have earned or deserved. Based on this parable, here are some thoughts to lead you to apply this parable to yourself.

It’s pretty obvious that the workers concern was the pay, but it was more than that. They worked longer but got the same pay. That’s what they thought was not fair. And that’s the first take home for all of us. You don’t want God to be fair with you. When we think that way, we only think of the good things we have done and the perceived lack of good things others have done. That’s where we get that feeling of entitlement. Brothers and sisters, God knows what you do and for how long you have done it. Let me say that again, God KNOWS what you do and how long you have done it. Do you really want him to “pay” you on that basis? Do you deserve a blessing or an extra blessing because you have been able to give offerings all your life, not just a couple of years? Or because of the way you raise your kids? Or because you serve? If so, you are probably overestimating how God looks at those offerings. You can apply that to every area of life. God’s blessing is not a wage that we earn or deserve. What we have earned or deserved is something far, far less.

And that brings us to the second take away. We need to stop talking about God being fair. God is not fair, he is gracious. It was not fair that he punished someone else for our gossip, our blasphemy, and our laziness. It was not fair that he punished a perfect person for our despising of the Word and Sacrament and despising of our marriage and confirmation vows. But that is what he did! Why? Because he loves you enough not to be fair with you. He loves you enough to be gracious with you. That grace, and only that grace, is why you and I can hold our heads up as children of God.

And perhaps that grace is the greatest take home. As God has been gracious with us, let us be gracious with others. And as we do, show that there is something better than fair for everyone. Amen.