"Unfair Grace!" Matthew 20:1-16

Septuagesima Sunday                                                       5-February-2023
Sermon Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Sermon Theme: “Unfair Grace!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. “Psa 18:5-6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. (6) In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.” “Psa 130:1-2 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; (2) Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.” The introit and tract for this Sunday cry out from the depths of a sin darkened death filled world, and a despairing sin filled soul. What hope do we in Christ’s Church have as the world captive by Satan’s Lie scream at us to keep our Christianity locked away in our church building? When those who dare to confess the Truth of the Holy Bible in their workplace are canceled, fired, and prosecuted as haters? When the government erects the golden idol of scientism and demands all fall down and worship it when the hear the cacophony of fear flooding media of the latest threats - manufactured or real? What hope do we have when it you stand alone against the world?
    Our gradual answers: Psa 9:9-10 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. (10) And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Our hope is in the Name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. His Name is Jesus! Our Creator who spoke all things into existence by His Word. Our Creator who didn’t abandon us to the depths of sin with its self-deception and hellish chains of fear and death to Satan. He spoke His promise of rescue to our first fallen parents. In the fullness of time He took on our flesh - God became one with us, our Brother. The God-Man entered our sorrows, our snares of death, He lowered Himself to shoulder the depths of our sins in His own innocent flesh that He might heal us by His stripes. He purchased and won us lost and condemned creatures. He paid our price in full, once for all, with His Holy precious blood, and innocent suffering and death. He broke the depths of death and hell - marching triumphantly out of our graves. He calls, claims, and seals us to be His own in the waters of Holy Baptism. King Jesus ascended to fill all creation. King Jesus rules all history. He works all for the good of those who love Him, called according to His purpose, forgiven within His Church, held tightly in His nail scarred hands. He preaches, Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
    Christ Jesus is with us! Here today! In your homes tonight! In your schools and workplaces tomorrow! He calls you sinner to be His saint forgiving you. He calls you away from the marketplace to trust in His: “Unfair Grace!” trumpeting it to the world.
      What is the Church? In the Smalcald Articles we confess: “ thank God, today]a child seven years old knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd. For the children pray thus: I believe in one holy Christian Church. This holiness does not consist in albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other of their ceremonies devised by them beyond Holy Scripture, but in the Word of God and true faith.” Listen to Jesus teach you of His Kingdom - The one Holy Christian Church! (Vs.1-2) The Kingdom of Heaven! Christ Jesus reunites heaven to earth within His body - the Holy Christian Church. Here out of the depths of your sin, shame, guilt, and self-deception - He hears your voice - He forgives you your sin.
        The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner - the Creator of Heaven and Earth humbling Himself to do a servants job. He goes out looking for laborers for his vineyard. He prepared. He planted. He tended His garden. Now the harvest is at hand. He goes out seeking workers. What kind of beggarly landowner is this looking for workers before the break of day? The first laborers are skeptical - they will not work unless a contract is in place - they want what they are worth - a days wages for a days work - only then will they venture into the vineyard to work.
        Still this is a restless Landowner. He sees the crop His labor has produced. He just needs hands to gather in the harvest. (Vs.3-4) It is now 9a.m. and he finds others standing idle in the marketplace. They are distracted by goods they cannot buy, food which cannot fill their empty stomachs. Idle, doing nothing, starving in the midst of plenty. The humble Landowner calls them, “You - go!” “Trust in My goodness!” “I will give you whatever is right!” They get to work - trusting in His grace alone! Hark, the voice of Jesus crying, "Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting– Who will bear the sheaves away?" Loud and long the Master calleth; Rich reward He offers thee. Who will answer, gladly saying, "Here am I, send me, send me"?
          Noon, the heat of the day approaches. Again the restless Landowner doesn’t want to lose any of His blood bought crop. (Vs.5-7) The brutal hot sun beats down upon Him as He searches the marketplace for those whose time is fast passing away. He calls them to repent of standing idle..doing nothing...while starving looking at food they cannot purchase. No one wanted them - these worthless workers - He does! He calls them into His Garden - to feast on His grapes filling their stomachs refreshing their souls as they work to gather in His labors. At 3p.m. He seeks out other outcast worthless people in the eyes of the world. They are not among the rich and powerful - they are despised by the world - left to starve. He calls to them! Come! Work! Today you will be with Me in Paradise - working in My Vineyard - gathering in those elected by the Father’s grace in My flesh and blood from the foundation of the world. The day is almost gone - the 11th hour 5p.m. - work ceases at 6p.m. and the night falls when no man can work. Still the humble Landowner seeks to save those whom the world views as worthless dregs - He calls them. He promises -“Whatever is right - you will receive!” They joyfully venture forth trusting His Word of Promise. “ If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, You can say He died for all. If you cannot rouse the wicked With the judgment's dread alarms, You can lead the little children To the Savior's waiting arms.”
    The sun is setting, the day is done, now the Landowner settles accounts, freely giving away His riches. (Vs.8-12) Jesus isn’t a savy business man. The Christian Church isn’t a business. We don’t market Jesus, trying to repackage Him with slick commercials. He speaks His Word through us and gathers the elect into His vineyard - His one Holy Christian and apostolic Church. King Jesus wants to give away the Father’s Kingdom to sinners who don’t earn it. The workers hired in the last hour of their lives receive a full days wage! When those who grudgingly worked all day seeking to get paid - they get the same pay. Immediately they start to grumble - just like the children of Israel. Freed from 430 years of slavery grumbled as soon as their desires for water and food weren’t met. That day the Lord stood before them - the Rock - Moses struck His side and out flowed living water bringing life to all who would drink trusting in His goodness. They complained that they bore the burden and heat of the day - all they had done was gather in the labor of Jesus - He alone bore the heat and burden of our sin, our hell, our death.
    They protest the Landowner’s unfair grace in giving to the last as much as they received. (Vs13-15) He calls the grumbler “friend” - even now He calls this lifelong member of the Church, grumbling that they’ve given more money, volunteered more, than anyone else - to repent. It isn’t your labor but His call to work that places you into His vineyard to gather in His harvest. The fields are white unto harvest. Jesus calls you to pray. To work in His vineyard - His world reclaimed by His blood gushing from His spear pierced side. Rejoice with Him and the angels of heaven at every sinner who repents and clings to Him alone through His Word. If you cannot be a watchman, Standing high on Zion's wall, Pointing out the path to heaven, Off'ring life and peace to all, With your prayers and with your bounties You can do what God commands; You can be like faithful Aaron, Holding up the prophet's hands.”
    What does Christ call to labor in His vineyard look like? History records, Act 8:1-4 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (2) And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. (3) As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. (4) Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.” Stephan had been murdered by the government for speaking Truth. Saul persecuted the Church - this was Jesus’ call - “don’t stand idle! Now is the harvest ripe! Get up! Speak my word everywhere! Preach it in your homes to your children, your spouse! Preach it in your workplace, your school, speak of Christ’s unfair grace to all who are crushed by their sin, driven to despair, chained by our culture’s lies, and starving in shame.
      Paul continued to beat his own despairing unbelieving flesh into subjection, lest when he preached to others he did not listen to for himself. God’s grace is unfair - it saves sinners - of whom Paul was chief. The children of Israel had the same Christ, same word, same sacraments to sustain them on their journey towards the promised land. Instead of singing the song of salvation of unfair grace to the end - they forgot Christ’s Words and promise singing, “bump..di...di..da..da...” Not you dear Christian! (Vs.16) Sing forth the song of salvation as you joyfully get up in this 11th hour to work by speaking Christ’s Word sustained by His flesh and blood. Trust only in His gracious call. He has done all the labor - He invites you to rejoice in His harvest working alongside of Him. Let none hear you idly saying, "There is nothing I can do,"
While the multitudes are dying And the Master calls for you. Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be; Answer quickly when He calleth, "Here am I, send me, send me!"   Amen.