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Pentecost 15/Proper 21
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9/25/2011
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25:1-10
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Ezekiel
18:1-4, 25-32
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Philippians
2:1-18
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Matthew
21:23-32
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Grace, Mercy and
Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “The
other son said, ‘I go sir,’ bud did not go.”
Thus far our text.
Dear friends in
Christ. What Jesus describes here is a
situation we are used to isn’t it?
Countless times when I was growing up, my father said to me, “Go and
clean your room.” My response was always
the same, “FINE!” (Please note the groan).
I would go up into my room, and when my father would come to check on me
a few hours later, I would be sitting and reading, or playing, and the room
would be no cleaner than it was when I was sent to clean it.
Don’t get me
wrong, I had good intentions. I really
meant to clean my room. I meant to
follow through with my father’s wishes.
But for some reason, I was unable to carry out those good
intentions. I was unable to complete the
task that was given to me. How many of
you parents have had similar discussions with your children. How many of you have experienced similar
situations in your own life with other things?
The truth is, each
and every one of us has done this in our relationship to our heavenly Father. We have said, “I will do what you ask
Lord. I will serve you and you
alone. I will listen to your laws and I
will help in your vineyard.” And while
these are good promises to make, while this is the righteous thing to say, we
know friends they are only empty promises.
They are good intentions that we can never fulfill on our own. For we are sinners, and sinners cannot do
God’s will.
Think about it in
regards to any of the ten commandments.
“You shall remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Piece of cake, I can do that. I am always at church. Except for when I am camping, or out of town,
or the Vikings are playing. Or for me
personally, when I am leaving on a two week Elk Hunting Trip. Do you see, we make little exceptions for
ourselves, and in them, we fail what our good intentions would have us do.
What about
another? You shall not bear false
testimony. Seems simple enough. And yet, it is so easy to let a little
comment slip about someone else behind their back. It is so easy to say, “Yes I will do
something, only later to find out you cannot.
It is so easy to fail, because friends we are all sinners.
And even in our
church participation we fall short don’t we?
Today we are looking at our Stewardship of God’s gifts to us. The way we use them to further the message of
the Gospel. It is easy for us to say,
“Yes I will take time to help with that project. Yes I will make an effort to help.” But it is much more difficult to follow
through in that regard. It is easy to
say, “Yes I will financially support the church, because it is important to
me,” but as the weeks role by and the budget tightens, it is easy to fall short
of our noble promises.
This all stems
from our sin, sin that constantly questions the authority of Jesus in our
lives. We question that what Jesus says
is truth, really is at all. We question
that Jesus actually cares if we do follow through on our Christian promises to
follow him, and to live a holy life.
“Its ok if I fudge on the rules a little isn’t it, its ok to not follow
through on what I’ve promised, Jesus will understand right?”
But ask yourself
the question Jesus asks in our text today.
“Which of these two did the will of their father?” Was it the one who said, “I go sir” but
didn’t, or the one who said, “I will not” but did? It was the one who said I will not. You see it isn’t our promises that we trust,
it isn’t our holy words and platitudes that make a difference to God. He knows our hearts, he knows our sin. On our own, we cannot be good stewards with
God’s gifts at all, we cannot serve him in our guilt.
So we must look to
one who can, and who does, and who always will.
We must look first to Jesus, “God’s beloved Son with whom God was well
pleased.” He listened to God. He followed God’s instruction. He did what God desired, and it cost him his
all. Jesus told His Father, “I will save
them from their sin, I will give up myself so that you may have them for
yourself, a people chosen by God, holy and righteous in your sight.” And when Jesus said these things, it wasn’t
just good intentions, it wasn’t an empty promise, Jesus backed up his promise
with his own blood.
For Jesus’
obedience to God involved a cross on Golgotha.
It involved nails driven into his hands and feet, a spear piercing his
side. Jesus’ promise to rescue involved
his death and burial. But Jesus is no
longer in the tomb. He is risen
indeed. He rose and calls you all to
faith in his name. Faith that looks to
his promises for you, faith that receives his gifts.
And so friends, in
your life of faith, you are not the son who says, “Yes I will go,” but
doesn’t. Rather you are the Son from our
text who said, “I will not go,” but then went.
You serve your neighbor today, you serve your church today, because you
have faith in a God who loves you and died for you. You give of your time in church because Jesus
gave his life up for you. Even though in
your sin you said no, you are free to work in the vineyard. To help those
around the world, in Kenya, in Fargo, in other places around the world, and yes,
even those here in this place. In Jesus
you may serve cheerfully, and help with projects and boards in this place. Friends, you have been given Christ, and now
may share him with the world.
Will you go and
work in the vineyard? Friends, it
doesn’t matter what you think, or what you want. If you go, it is because Christ has first
gone. If you help, it is because Christ
first helped you. It is faith in Christ
that makes all things possible. Like the
man in our text, we say “I Go sir, because Christ has gone first.” Amen.
