The Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 17, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline
Isaiah
43:16-21 Philippians 3:4b-14 Luke 20:9-20
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God the Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today is the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “This
is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.” Thus far our text.
Dear friends in
Christ. A man built a vineyard, and
rented it to some renters with the promise to receive some payment for the
rental when the harvest of fruit finally came in. The vines were planted by the renter. They were cultivated by the renter. The vines were pruned by the renter. The renter raised his family at the vineyard,
and they worked along side one another as if it was their own land. They took pride in their work, and began to call
the vineyard their own. The vines began
to produce fruit, because the renter cared for the vines and the harvest
began. The harvest was plentiful, the
crop was good, and finally after much hard work, the vineyard was in the black,
running a profit.
And it is at this
time, that the owner sends his messenger from another country. Rent was due.
There were terms set up originally after all. The owner had set the agreement, and now the
time had come to pay. But the renter
gets greedy – he’d been running the vineyard as his own. The owner was far away, so far away it was
almost as if he didn’t exist at all.
“Why should I pay?” the renter said. “I’ll just keep it for myself. I’ll pad my bank account – the owner can’t do
anything about it anyways.” And with
this pride and sin, he beat the messenger, and sent him back to where he
came.
The pride of the
renter increased. “Look how powerful I
am, he said, I told the owner’s messenger where to go, I told him what’s
what. I see what I want and I take it.” But the owner sent another messenger, again
beaten and turned away. And a
third. The renter really desires to send
a message this time, and wounds the messenger before sending him back with a
messenger. And then the messenger is
sent back with these words, “Back off Owner.
I’m the master of this vineyard.
I’ve raised my family here, I’ve done what I’ve wanted. I’ve planted, cultivated and harvested. And what I’ve earned is mine.
The owner finally
sends his beloved son to collect the rent that is his. When the evil renter sees the son coming, he
smiles to himself. It’s the heir. I’ll kill him. Then I will be the master of the
vineyard. Then it will be mine for
good. Then I’ll be the all powerful one
here. I’ll be my own master – with no owner
telling me what to do, or demanding what he wants in my life. So the son is dragged out of town, and killed
– all because of the renters greed, hate, and malice.
Jesus tells us
this parable, not because it’s a nice story, or because he has some interest in
the running of ancient Israelite vineyards, but rather because it’s a story
that isn’t even about vineyards at all.
Its about himself. A story about
how he himself, the beloved son, would be received by his own people.
The people of this
world, you and me included, were given this world to care for by our Heavenly
Father. Its true. God gave Adam and Eve the world and said “be
caretakers for my beautiful creation.
But do not eat of the tree in the center of the garden.” As soon as God turned his back, Adam and Eve
immediately disobeyed, just as you do when you think God’s not looking. They ate, and sin and death entered our
world.
Throughout the
ages, In many times and in various ways, God spoke to our forefather through
the prophets. “Repent.” They said, “God will fix sin, so trust in
him.” And throughout the ages, time and
time again, these prophets were beaten and killed, some even in the “Holy
temple” God’s own house. We stood by
complicitly as these terrible things happened.
God’s word was abandoned, and our own words, our own wants and our own
desires were proclaimed instead.
And finally, God
sent his Son. And we know what happens
to him, for it is Lent. The season we
look ahead to Good Friday, to Golgotha, to the cross, and to the death of the
Son at the hands of sinners, like you and like me. We kill Jesus, rather than listen to his
words. We kill the Son of God, because
we have no place for him in our lives.
We cause him to suffer, and we smile and we laugh as we do so, because
we think that with him gone, we will finally be our own masters. And so the Son of God is crucified, and we
are at fault.
But our plan
backfires. Because the Son doesn’t stay
dead. He rises again, he is glorified,
and all authority on heaven and earth is given to him because of his glorious
resurrection. That means authority over
you, over your sin, over you guilt, over your shame. And using that authority that Son offers you
forgiveness, forgiveness given in his word and in his sacraments.
He speaks and
says, I forgive you for despising the preaching done by my messengers through
the year. I forgive you for turning your
back on me. I forgive you for every sin
you have committed. Search your heart, your
life, your soul, each of those sins that plague and guilt you, I take away!
How, by my death,
yes the death at your hands. In that
death, I killed your sins, O baptized ones, I died your death, I suffered your
punishment, and you do become an heir, a heir along with me, and now all that
is mine is yours, including heaven, forgiveness, life and salvation. All that I have is yours now. My body?
Take it and eat it. My blood,
take it and drink it, they are yours for forgiveness. My eternal home in heaven? Live it in it always. My righteousness and holiness, be dressed in
it through baptismal waters. My life now
is your life. My father is now your
father. All that belongs to me, belongs
to you.
Dear friends, its
lent. Turn from your sin. Trust in the one you killed, but now is raised. Be forgiven of your sins, in the blood of
Jesus. In his name, Amen.
