Oct 2 Sermon

October 2, 2005 Sermon

I would like to start my sermon today with a story, a story about chickens.  Of course you know all good sermons start with a story about chickens.   A farmer sent his nephew a crate of chickens, but the box burst open just as the boy started to take them out. The next day he wrote his uncle: “I chased them through my neighbor’s yard but I only got back eleven.” Answered the uncle, “You did all right, nephew. I only sent six.”   Today’s Gospel reading is a lot like this story.  On the surface it seems like just another story, but if we chase after it, do a little digging, it is so much more. In this parable we find out a couple of things about God, a couple things about Jesus, and a couple of things about us.

A common element has emerged in the Gospels of the last couple of weeks. For three consecutive Sundays the Gospel has had something to do with a vineyard.  Two weeks ago the Gospel was about the workers going into the vineyard at different times of the day to work.  Though they worked a different amount of hours, they all received the same wage.   Last week the Gospel was about the two sons who were asked to go to the vineyard. The first son said he wouldn't go but later changed his mind and went. The second son when asked said he would go but never did. Today’s lesson is also about the vineyard.  The parable is about an owner of a vineyard who plants it and gets it set up for business.  He rents it to some workers and leaves.  When it is time to collect the rent he sends his servants who are beaten, abused, even killed by the renters.  As the last resort he sends his son, for surely they will respect his son.  The tenants kill him also.  The landowner then removes the tenants and rents it to someone else.

        The first thing the parable teaches us is that God trusts us.  The landowner in the parable is God and the vineyard is the church.  As the owner of the vineyard, He plants it, builds a wall around it, and gets it set up for business.  Then he rents it out to the tenants and goes away on a journey.  He doesn't stand there watching, making sure they do everything right.  He trusts men to do their work, the work of tending the vineyard.  He trusts us with His church, caring for the old vines as well as nurturing the young vines to make them grow.  God not only trusts us to be faithful stewards of the vineyard but also of our treasures, to return a portion of what He first gives us.  He trusts us with our time.  He trusts us with our talents.  He trusts us with our money.  God trusts us. 

As the harvest time grows near, the owner expects a return on his investment, some fruit of the vineyard.  He repeatedly sends messengers or servants to collect.  The tenants abuse or kill the messengers.  Why doesn't the owner come with vengeance and destroy the renters? Because the owner is patient.   He gives them every chance to respond to his appeal even to the point of sending his own son.  God does not wish for any one to be lost to sin.  The bible reads in 2nd Peter 3:9:  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. The messengers in the parable represent the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist and many others.  God has sent them all to give us a message.  Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near.  Many have heard but few have listened.  Thankfully, God is patient.

The story, however, does tell of God's judgment also.  The owner sends his son but the tenants do not respect him either.  They throw him out of the vineyard and kill him.   In the end the Master takes the vineyard away from the renters and gives it to someone else. The son in the story represents Jesus and the renters are the Scribes, Pharisee’s and the Chief Priests of the Jewish people.  The leaders of the Jewish people ignored the prophets of their fathers.  They rejected Jesus as their Savior and crucified him. They failed to be faithful stewards of the vineyard and to produce good fruit.  God judges them and takes the vineyard away from them and gives it to the Gentiles.  In his commentary on this passage, William Barclay writes, "God’s sternest judgment is when he takes out of our hands the task which he meant us to do.  A man has sunk to his lowest level when he has become useless to God."   A person's usefulness is not based on their ability but on their willingness, a willingness which is a fruit of their faith.  For those who refuse God, His judgment is severe. 

        The story also tells us about Jesus.  It sets Jesus apart from the prophets.  The messengers or prophets were servants of God but Jesus is the Son. The parable clearly shows Jesus as being unique, being different than even the greatest prophets before him.  In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist describes Jesus as "more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry."  In Luke chapter 3 at Jesus' baptism, God's voice from heaven declares, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”   Jesus is different; He is the Son of God.  

Through the parable we learn of the sacrifice of Jesus.  In the story the tenants kill the son.  By telling the parable, Jesus clearly knows the path ahead.  He went willingly, open-eyed to the cross.  In Mark chapter 10, Jesus tells the disciples, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Jesus knew the way He must go.  He paid our debt so we could be free from the penalty of sin, He was the final sacrifice for all.

We also learn a lot about men, about us.  The story tells about human privilege, about freedom, accountability, and the deliberateness of sin.  The vineyard was equipped with everything the occupants needed.  They had the wall for protection, the winepress, the tower, everything that would make the task of the cultivators easier.  They were empowered to do the task and do it well.  The owner provided everything they needed.  God does that for us.  He gives us a task, empowers us, and gives us the means to complete it.  We also have freedom.  In the story the owner leaves and the tenants are free do the task before them as they liked.  We are free to do, or to not do, the tasks assigned by God.  But with freedom comes accountability.  We are answerable to Him for what we do.  We all will face judgment day and will have to account for our actions. The actions of the cultivators were not an accident but a deliberate policy of rebellion and opposition to the owner.  Sin is opposition to God.  Deliberate sin is knowing right from wrong and choosing wrong.  The bible says that we will have to answer for the things done, or not done, while in this body, for the decisions we make.  Our life will be an open record, and Jesus will be our judge.

 After reading this Gospel parable and in preparing this sermon, I couldn't help but think of Hurricane Katrina and more recently, Hurricane Rita.  Disasters can bring out the worst and best in people.  I thought about the news reports of people looting and stealing TV's and the like.  The TV thing really seemed ridiculous to me.  Most of the people’s houses were destroyed.  They had nowhere to plug the TV's in, and no electricity to run them.  Why would you steal a TV you couldn’t use?  I thought about the rescuers getting shot at by the people they were trying to rescue.  It seems too similar to the vineyard tenants killing or abusing the messengers.  It shows us the condition of people's hearts and the deliberateness of sin.    We also see sacrifice on all levels.  People helping each other - risking their lives, and even dying, to save another.   We see people giving what they can, and sometimes more, to help.  The people here at Grace helping a former member; tenants of the vineyard helping other tenants.  Messengers bringing hope.  

So who are you in the story?  We can't be the vineyard owner, for we know that the owner is God.   But what about the other people in the story?  Are you the tenant, refusing to give God His portion?  Are you neglecting the vineyard or not doing the task appointed you by God?  Or are you the messenger or servant.  Are you getting beat up for the Gospel?  How about the son?  I know some of you are saying, "Hey wait a minute, the son was Jesus.  We can't be the son!"  Paul writes in Galatians that we are all adopted sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  In Romans Paul writes that those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.   As children of God, we are sent to make disciples of all nations.  We are all, in a way, sent to the vineyard as a son.  So, who are you in the story?  We are a blend of all three, a little tenant, a little messenger and a little son.  I am afraid that I probably have more wicked tenant in me than I like to admit.  I think we all can say that.  Thankfully, the Owner's Son has come to the vineyard to save us.

I would like to wrap things up with a story about Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison invented the microphone, the phonograph, the incandescent light, the storage battery, talking movies, and more than 1000 other things. December 1914 he had worked for 10 years on a storage battery. This had greatly strained his finances. This particular evening spontaneous combustion had broken out in the film room. Within minutes all the packing compounds, celluloid for records and film, and other flammable goods were in flames. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived, but the heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that the attempt to douse the flames was futile. Everything was destroyed. Edison was 67. With all his assets going up in a whoosh, would his spirit be broken?  The inventor’s 24-year old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father. He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind. “My heart ached for him,” said Charles. “He was 67—no longer a young man—and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted, ‘Charles, where’s your mother?’ When I told him I didn’t know, he said, ‘Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long as she lives.’“ The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.” Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver the first phonograph.

The killing of the owner’s son....Thomas Edison’s fire.... Hurricane Katrina and Rita.  Is there great value in disaster?  Is there value in Katrina and Rita?   I guess time will tell.  The killing of the owner’s son seemed like a disaster but it brought new tenants to the vineyard.  As the new tenants, we have something of value no human can measure.  Who can put a value on our eternal life?  God can and did...and it was His son.  Quoting Thomas Edison, "Thank God we can start anew!"

Amen