“It is All There”
March 22nd, 2010 Posted in SermonsThe Fifth Sunday in Lent (Series C)
“It is All There”
March 21, 2010
Sermon Text: Luke 20:9-20 [show]Luke 20:9-20
And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.' And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written:
"'The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone'?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."
The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (ESV)
Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Quite a parable we have before us today. And one could say it is a thinly veiled one at that.
In the temple where St. Luke tells us our Lord was teaching and preaching daily, it was most likely obvious to many, if not all, who Jesus was referring to when he shared this parable.
To put all this in context, Luke tells us in the preceding verses that “The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him [that is, Jesus], but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.”
(Luke 19:47-48 [show]Luke 19:47-48
And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. (ESV))
I love that phrase, don’t you? All the people were hanging on His words… Christ’s words.
And now these very same chief priests, scribes and elders come up to Jesus right there in the temple and confront Him, challenging His authority.
It doesn’t work. In fact it backfires on these Jewish leaders and our Lord then proceeds to share this parable with all who are gathered around him.
In the parable, the planter of the vineyard is none other than God the Father. The vineyard is the Church throughout time, God’s people throughout time.
And then you have the “tenants” which at this time were the Jews with the chief priests, the scribes and the elders being the “head tenants” if you will… all whom the Father had given the great privilege of living in, tending to and enjoying the fruits of this vineyard.
But we see what the tenants will do and fail to do. They will mistreat and shamefully beat those whom the Father, the very owner and planter of the vineyard sends to them… those who are His representatives.
And furthermore, they will refuse to give back to God a true portion and an acceptable offering of the fruits of the vineyard… the fruit of faith… the fruit of true worship, devotion and service to the Lord their God.
Such was clearly the case with what the tenants… the children of Israel… did down through the ages… what the Israelites did with all of the prophets God sent to them. We see this again and again in the Old Testament. They shamefully treated the Lord’s own… His anointed… and refused to obey God’s Word.
Finally, as the parable goes, the owner of the vineyard sends his son… his “beloved son” no less… sound familiar? We certainly know who this is. It is Jesus. Our Lord was referring to Himself here in this parable.
And what is more, He foretells what will happen to Himself… what the wicked “tenants” will do. They will kill Him. They will kill the very son of the owner of the vineyard. They will kill the very Son of God!
And then what does Jesus do? He poses the question to all who were gathered around Him and especially to the chief priests, the elders and the scribes, saying “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
My friends, those who had been the tenants of God’s vineyard for centuries would not be any longer and the vineyard would be given to others… to those who would faithfully tend it… to those who would treat the owner’s representatives with honor… to those who would return abundant fruit.
When the Jews heard this they vehemently declared, “Surely Not!”
But our Lord responds, saying in essence, “Surely Yes!” Jesus looks directly at these so called religious leaders and asks, “What then is this that is written (and here He quotes Psalm 118 [show]Psalm 118
[118:1]Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
"His steadfast love endures forever."
Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
"The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,
the right hand of the LORD exalts,
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the LORD's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we pray, O LORD!
O LORD, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!): ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
The fact is, the Lord God made the children of Israel His own. The Lord made them builders of His church, builders of His kingdom. But they, the Jews, rejected the key stone in it all… that which is the Church’s sure foundation… He who is the Rock of Ages… the very Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.
It is this Rock… this Jesus… that the builders have rejected. And it is this Rock… this Jesus… who has become the chief cornerstone in what is the true Church… the Christian Church.
What is more… those who reject this Rock, this Stone, this Jesus will be broken to pieces… crushed… by it… by Him. It is all there.
And upon hearing this said by our Lord, those Jewish leaders, there in the temple, must have been seething.
Luke records, “The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.”
So as to deliver Jesus up to Pilate… and they will… eventually… do just that… soon in fact.
My friends, it is all there – the summation of what has been happening in the “vineyard” which God has graciously planted. How He graciously put His chosen people in the vineyard… to tend to it and how they acted so selfishly… so wickedly… culminating in the killing of the owner’s own son… beloved son.
Yes, this is thinly veiled so that you… and along with the chief priests, scribes and elders… and all people throughout time… may know what was done by a loving God and by unloving, ungrateful, sinful and selfish men.
And it is all there… put very clearly and succinctly what will happen to those who reject the Son of God… those who reject the Stone upon which the Church is built… that which is its sure and solid foundation… namely Christ Jesus.
They will perish. It is all right there. God’s Word is not kidding. Those in your family, among your circle of friends, among your co-workers, among your neighbors and acquaintances… any and all who reject Jesus Christ… all who refuse to confess Him to be their savior, lord and king both with their lips and with their lives WILL die eternally.
It is all right there… but also right there is forgiveness, life and salvation to all who repent of their ways… to all who no longer resist and reject the work of the Holy Spirit and turn to Christ… believe in Christ… live in Christ.
Thanks be to God for the vineyard… the Church… God has given to us. How honored we are to live in it… to tend to it… and to return a portion… the best portion of what the Lord has given to us, back to Him.
And this we do as we bear the fruit of faith… as we make our very life one of worship and praise to Him… as we give the best of our time, talents and treasures in a truly sacrificial way… as we serve Him and serve others… all of our sisters and brothers who are in need.
Again, such is our honor… our joy and good pleasure. And may that always be. Amen.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.
Amen.
“It is All There”
3/21 /10 The Rev. Mark H. Hein
St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Lockport, IL