The First Sunday in Lent - Invocabit - February 21, 2010

The Church Season of Lent,
The First Sunday in Lent - Invocabit,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (February 21, 2010)
One Year Series

“Tempting God’s Word”

Readings:
Psalm 118:1-13
Gen. 3:1-21
2 Cor. 6:1-10
Matt 4:1-11

Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 4th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus was lead by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by satan. There in the desert Jesus has been without food and water for forty days when satan came to Him to ask his first question. A bit different from the first time we heard satan make a tempting offer. The first time was indeed not in a desert, with no food or water, rather the first time was in the Garden of Eden. There in the garden satan tempted Adam and Eve who had streams of living water, food in abundance and they were not yet scarred by sin, they had bodies that were still the perfect image of God. Ironic isn’t it that satan does not really care upon which battle grounds he chooses to fight. Satan attacks Adam and Eve standing in abundance, he attacks Jesus who has a lack of abundance having given up all human sustenance for forty days. But, quite frankly, the nature of the offer is the same in both places, a temptation for something which satan does not really own, for satan is

Tempting God’s Word

The timing of when this temptation of Christ was immediately after Christ’s baptism. In fact Jesus had just come up out of the water, and was immediately led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. He does not struggle, He just walks out into the wilderness, unbelievable, Christ is going out their to fast for 40 days and 40 nights, and He does so willingly. For forty days and forty nights is the same amount of time that the rains came down in the time of Noah, and only eight survived the flood by the grace of God. I’m not sure many of us would survive that kind of fast. Quite frankly I’m not sure we couldn’t or wouldn’t fast for forty hours let alone 40 days.

But Jeus Christ does, for He goes out into the wilderness without food or water and not surprisingly, “He was hungry.”(v. 2) Think of the great temptation that was faced in this fast. Forty days and forty nights without food. This is an extreme fast to be sure. And certainly you would think after this much time the body and mind would be very weak. And so we must ask ourselves, “How is it that Our Lord is able to live forty days without any nourishment or water?” Well, it is either that He does use a part of His Divine rights and powers as a Man, or, more likely, God the Father sustains Him, and thus He endures His desert time as a Christian, in faith, waiting on the Lord. Jesus is hungry, and He is weary.

And so it is with a life of faith. It is not simply that God does not give us more than we can handle. You’ve heard that saying over and over, and you probably believe that it is in the Bible. Search the scriptures, you will not find those words, but what you will find are these words, “13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”(1 Corinthians 10:13) Not the same at all, for it doesn’t say that you will not be given more than you can bear, what it says first is that “God is faithful” then scripture says that He will not let you “be tempted beyond what you can bear.” Quite different actually, the focus first is on God, who is faithful. And you know that, in fact we often repeat these words together, “I have sinned against you in thoughts words and deeds, by what I have done and by what I have left undone, but HE who is faithful and just.” It is God who is faithful, it is God who gives us Christ as a way out from our temptations.

The saying nothing more than we could bear is a hard one, but when we hear that it is no temptation more than we could bear, that is beyond our imagination. But look first to Christ for temptations beyond imagination. After forty days Jesus Christ was indeed tempted by satan, but that temptation was not more than He could bear. In fact we know that Christ bore the weight of much greater challenges than the ones satan could offer.

In the world we live in nothing seems to be beyond our grasp, certainly temptation presents itself daily in our lives. We are tempted to sin against our neighbors by slandering them, by thinking ill of them, by not speaking about the in the kindest way and people are tempted to sin with their neighbor too. We are tempted bend rules and break laws when it convenient for us, and then we enforce those same rules and laws if those actions would gain us the upper hand. Sadly, we are tempted to give up on ourselves, when faced with sickness or physical challenges, we’re tempted to give up and give in to despair. We’re tempted to say that no one knows the physical pain I experience, no one knows the mental pain I endure, no one knows how hard I struggle to avoid sin, no body knows my pain, nobody knows my sorrow. And when we’ve fallen to temptation, placed ourselves by our own actions, thoughts, words, or deeds into a desert of sin with no hope of any way out...how could that pastor say scriptures say that I will not been tempted beyond what I could ever bear. We say that because when we’re truthful to ourselves, we’ll admit that we have fallen to temptation.

The answer is that our Lord Jesus Christ, in His holiness, perfectly kept the Law as a Man. Jesus recognizes your pain and sorrow, he recognizes that you face death and the temptation from sin from every corner. Jesus Christ sees you standing in the midst of the desserts we call this world, surrounded by sin and temptation and He joins Himself to us. Christ sees this world clearly, His eyes are clear of the planks and specs which cause our eyes to be blurred, Christ’s eyes are not compromised by the inherited sin of Adam.

But all this does not make the temptation by satan easier for Jesus. Nor does it make our temptations any easier. It just simply makes them different. Christ’s temptations are all the more degrading. Yet He submits to these sorrows and degradation for our sake. Imagine the devil acting as though Our Lord would kiss his feet. Quite frankly the devil treats us with much more respect than that. The comforting thing, ultimately, is not simply that Jesus resisted temptation to show us that it could be done, or that He endured some great trial, but that He has succeeded as our substitute. When faced with temptation beyond what you can bear, know that Jesus bears all your temptations, for you.

To be tempted is not sinful, or otherwise Jesus would have sinned. And when we are tempted by Satan and the world, that is not sin on our part. But, it does become sin if and when we yield to temptation. We differ from Jesus in that we have a sinful flesh. Our lives are a constant battle is between the new creation which we assumed in our baptism, and our old Adam remains in our flesh. By faith in Christ the Christian resists every impulse of the flesh. Like Christ he employs the Word of God.

In this time of Lent where we focus on repentance, we recognize that we are sinners who have been justified by faith in Jesus. And so we are also encouraged in this time to turn from sin and to follow our Savior in doing what is right. We can learn from Jesus how to overcome the devil, temptations, and sin but we cannot do it by our own reason or strength. Christ gives us the victory over all the temptations of this world and brings us to Himself. It is He, Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can do it and we thank God, for Him alone. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
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The Time of Lent, Sundays in Lent and Latin meanings

The Time of Lent is a penitential time, meaning a time for repentance, learning, fasting, practicing self-control, and growing in faith. While all these practices are encouraged throughout the year, the time of Lent encourages a heightened awareness of Jesus Christ's suffering and death on the Cross.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. Our Savior Lutheran Church celebrates Ash Wednesday by offering, to those who wish it, the imposition of ashes upon their forehead, to remind us, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return."(Genesis 3:19)

The time of Lent is 40 days which does not include Sundays. So you will see the Sundays during Lent titled "Sunday in Lent" along with a Latin title. The Latin titles are explained below...

Invocabit – First Sunday in Lent
Psalm 91:15 – Invocavit me et exaudiam eum
Introit - He shall call upon Me

Reminiscere – Second Sunday in Lent
Psalm 25:6 – Reminiscere miserationum tuarum Domine
Introit - Remember, O Lord

Oculi – The Third Sunday in Lent
Psalm 25:15 – Oculi mei simper ad Dominum
Introit - Mine eyes

Laetare – The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Latin opening of Introit "Rejoice ye"

Judica – The Fifth Sunday in Lent - Passion Sunday
Latin opening of Introit "Judge me"
Psalm 42, Judica me, Deus
Judge me, O God

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - Quinquagesima

­­The Church Season of Epiphany,
Quinquagesima,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (February 14, 2010)
One Year Series

“Past, Present, and Future”

Readings:
Psalm 89:18-29
1 Sam. 16:1-13
1 Cor. 13:1-13
Luke 18:31-43

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 18th chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verses.

Luke 18:31-43 (NIV)

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. 35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany. During this church season we’ve proclaimed heard the good news of Jesus Christ. We have heard how and why Jesus manifested, Himself in this world and in our lives. And today is also Valentine’s Day a kind of mysterious day in history. At least it is a mysterious day for most men because the meaning of this day is either hidden or lost from them, though it should not be that way. It should be a day to proclaim our love for that very special person in our lives.

Ironically in today’s Gospel Jesus Christ speaks about love to His Apostle’s. And Jesus speaks about love for His Apostle’s and He speaks about His love for you too. And the love of which Jesus speaks, He would not only proclaim in His words, but Jesus would also live out His love in His actions. Jesus would speak to His apostles of how the past prophecies would soon be fulfilled in His trials. But the irony of Jesus’ words of love, is that even though everyone heard, none of the apostles understood what He said, until His passion was all over. The apostle’s eyes stared at the Son of Man, their ears heard His words, their mouths were fed from His hands, yet they missed a collision of;

“Past, Present, and Future”

I – The past points to the future

Yes, it true, the disciples appeared to have missed the whole point until is was all over with. They didn’t remember until they looked back to see that the future Jesus had predicted, was a present reality. I suppose everybody here who has ever taken a breath of air can relate to this Gospel lesson. “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.”(v.34)

We can relate to those kinds of words because we’ve all sat in rooms, or saddled-up in a cozy chair with our favorite groups, or sat in a church, or sat in a restaurant, only to hear someone prattle on about some topic which should be important to everyone. And after we’ve all heard that long winded soliloquy come to an end, either our heads begin to nod or we nod our heads. So we take another sip of coffee, or close our hymnal, all the while wondering what all those words meant. So, if indeed something was said, not much of anything was heard. The content of those kinds of events and conversations might be lost, forgotten, or unimportant, but just the same and somehow we look forward to them the next week, or the next month, or the next year.

And so it was with the apostle’s. They followed Jesus around a lot like children chase ice cream trucks on a hot summer day. Yet those same apostle’s missed the content of what Jesus said. Jesus said that everything that was written by the prophets would be fulfilled. That statement didn’t mean that much to the apostle’s, nor would it seem to mean all that much to us today either. But it should. Because these words of past prophets point to Jesus who is our future hope. It means that Jesus is saying that everything in written in Old Testament is not only true, but it also means that all those words would all be fulfilled by His life on this earth. In short, everything written by all the prophets point to Christ. In fact, “the [Old Testament] prophets’ predictions of Christ’s suffering and death have become a well, from which a wide, full stream of grace and salvation [has] flowed forth,” a never ending stream of salvation, for us, for you and for me. The words of the prophets point to our future reality, for the prophets of the past proclaim the future love of Jesus Christ who fulfills His love for you.

II – The future is present

And how does Christ proclaim that His love will be fulfilled for you? He tells you the same way He told the apostles, “He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33 On the third day he will rise again.”(v. 32-33) When Jesus said those words He had not yet walked into Jerusalem on palm leaves, nor had He heard the crowds proclaim Him their love for Him. But that future would come to pass and be a reality. It would also be a reality that the hands of those same crowds which were raised in praise on Palm Sunday would be the same hands which would be clenched into fists on Good Friday. And the same voices shouting Hosanna would soon cry out, “Crucify Him.!” And what of the Apostle’s? Well they had heard that all this would happen, but when the time came, they denied Christ.

The disciples were inwardly blind. Even when Jesus laid out the coming days and their deeds, the disciples were unable to see. There was nothing obscure or mysterious or symbolic about what Jesus told them, He told them the future and they did not understand. They did not understand because the saying was hidden from them. It was not the complexity of what was said, it’s just simply that only Jesus can make you see the future of your salvation now.

So, how do we respond? We live it out. First, we must give thanks, daily. Our faith and our hope and our salvation are all gifts of God. So is our health and our wealth and our ability to enjoy these good things and recognize them. So, we give thanks for all the gifts of God, both temporal and spiritual, and that God has given us the eyes to see them and the ears to hear about Jesus Christ. And what does this glimpse of the future do for you, what so you see? We should see the forgiveness of our sins which transforms our lives. We should see a change in how we deal with others. All this future knowledge should act almost like an inoculation against our doing evil or excusing our own sinful conduct. It should make us patient and forgiving toward others who sin against us, it should make us humble to those whom we sin against. Yet sadly here is where we all still fail, we fail in thought, word, and deed. But the failure of our actions should only remind us that the only perfect present and future is given to us by Jesus Christ Himself.

III – The Future is Eternal

And that eternal future was made present for you on the cross. There in His death and resurrection, Jesus won for you eternal salvation. And even though Jesus victory was plainly spoken to His people in the words, “it is finished,” our human reason does not comprehend it, nor do we believe it. In fact, our reason declares the Gospel to be untrue. But that Gospel is indeed eternal and Christ’s salvation is made a reality for you in your baptism. There in the water combined with God’s Word, your future was made sure. In Holy communion your human reason is set aside, and faith lays hold of Christ’s words, “This is my body, this is my blood, given and shed, for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” Here in Christ’s words, there is no greater expression of Gods love for you. God’s gifts for you are greater than any Valentine gift, for God will comfort you in your present sickness or challenge, and bring you to eternal health.

Christ’s words are no longer a mystery, they are a love story. What was once hidden from the apostle’s is revealed to you, it is that God in His wisdom beyond our past has given you Jesus Christ and Christ’s present is that He has given Himself for you to ensure your future eternity. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God be with you all. Amen.
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The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - Sexagesima - 2/7/10

Our Savior Lutheran Church had the pleasure of hosting the Vicar Chad Speller from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation this last Sunday (2/7/10). Vicar Speller proclaimed the Word of God in our morning service and taught the Adult Bible class. In their own words, "The Lutheran Heritage Foundation; translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven."

Please take the opportunity to view the website of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and see for yourself the wonderful work they perform in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings
Pastor Wright

Ash Wednesday, Lenten Midweek, and Holy Week Services

Our Savior Lutheran Church will be utilizing the series, "Words of Life from the Cross" as published by, Concordia Publishing house.(CPH) This material does have copyright protection so it cannot be reproduced here.

This Lenten season our Mid-week services will help reinforce the time of preparation, contrition, and repentance by utilizing worship resources that follow have been prepared based on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. The series also features the hymn “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” (LSB 447). Specific readings, psalmody, hymns, and prayers have been selected (along with appropriate options) with a view toward the special emphases of this series. We pray that you will join us for this Mid-week series as we walk together toward the Easter celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please join us at Our Savior Lutheran Church for our Lenten and Holy Week Services...

Lenten Mid-Week Services with Holy Communion
(Light supper beginning at 5:30 p.m)

2/17 Ash Wednesday with imposition of ashes 6:30 p.m.

Lenten Midweek services at 6:30 p.m. with Holy Communion 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, and 3/24.

Holy Week Services

3/28 Palm Sunday 9:30 a.m.

4/1 Maundy Thursday 6:30 p.m.
4/2 Good Friday 6:30 p.m.

4/3 Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m.
4/4 Easter Sunday 8:00 a.m.
(Breakfast served after Easter Sunday Divine Service)

Septuagesima - January 31, 2010

The Church Season of Epiphany,
Septuagesmia,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (January 31, 2010)
One Year Series

“Just Payment”

Readings:

Psalm 95:1-9
Exodus 17:1-7
1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5
Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 20th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses.

Matthew 20:1-16 (NIV)

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 “About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went. “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ 7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ 8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ 9 “The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. [12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ 13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”]

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Most of us would not want to work for a landowner like the one in our Gospel lesson. We are told the workers who started early got their daily wage, one denarius. How much is a denarius work in today’s money? Well we could do some quick figuring based on inflation rates, analysis of common goods, comparison of the statistics of household incomes then and now...And after all that we could come up with some kind of guess. But Jesus first told this parable in a way, so that it would be timeless. The parable fits across the spectrum of all who would ever here His Words. This denarius was a just days wage, you figure it out. You could ask yourself; What’s a days worth of work worth to me? What would I liked to be to be paid for work or what is a fair paycheck for working out in the sun for a day? Everybody here will have a different answer, some higher, some lower. And now that you have calculated all that out, it’s not the point of this lesson. In this parable, the worker’s received a denarius no matter what time they came to work, some came early in the morning, some came very late. Some worked through the heat of the sun, some came just an hour before the checks were being handed out. Some worked 12 hours, some worked 1 hour before the landowner called them all in for their pay.

And this landowner showed great audacity, he did something the likes of which we can not bear to hear. When the pay line formed and the pay began to be handed out, it was if the landowner closed his eyes, then stuck his hand down in his money bag, and drew out the pay for each worker. One denarius for the people who worked 1 hour. Well then that must be pretty good, if we look at exactly what the landowner said to the latecomers, He actually said nothing of their wages. So they must have thought they got a pretty good deal. And what about the workers who worked 3,6, & 9 hours, well they got 1 denarius too and they got exactly what they were told, and that was whatever is fair and just.

Now come the workers who worked all day. They were promised 1 denarius, they agreed to 1 denarius, but if all those other people got more than they should, these workers must have been expecting to make at least 12 times that 1 denarius, because they worked 12 times as long as some of the other workers. But, when paid they received their one denarius. How could this be? How dare that landowner pull shenanigans like that? How dare he make the 12 hour workers receive the same pay as the 1 hour workers.

Even today this parable makes us mad to think about it. Even today we couldn’t stand it if someone came in at the end of the day and made the same pay as we did. Whatever your career was, or still is, think about that newly hired worker making the same as you after you had worked your career for 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years. We too would begin grumbling about the motives of that owner.

But of course, Jesus told this parable so you would feel just the way that you do now, so you would apply this lesson to yourself. And when you get that little twist in your stomach about somebody coming to work late and still making your kind of time earned money then the point of parable starts to kick in and the blame game begins. Oh, yes of course the landowner is very generous, really generous in fact, too generous. And we know that God is the landowner and we know that God gives to each believer a full stake in the kingdom of heaven no matter how long they worked. And we certainly know that that kind of payment is not just.

So, what are we to learn? Is it that the kingdom of heaven is not just? What about this question, “Could the kingdom heaven be unfair but still just?” The kingdom of heaven is given to “all who believe and are baptized.”(Mk 16:16) But that’s not fair, some of us have been Christians for many years, some have only been recently baptized, we can’t all get to the same place can we?

Well let’s look at it another way. Suppose the landowner had seen that the people who worked one hour worked very hard. Suppose the landowner had seen that the people who worked 3, 6, or 9 hours had worked a bit and goofed off, or that the 12 hour workers had taken a nap during most of the day. Suppose much had been asked of these workers because they where promised that much would be given to them. Yet the longer they had been in the service of the landowner the less they did? What would the landowner think? Why would he even bother to pay those first workers at all? And taking it even one step further, who are the first workers here in our midst and who are the new workers in this congregation, think about it. If this congregation were to sell all it’s assets and divvy out all the proceeds. What if the people who joined last year received a portion equivalent to the charter members? Whether baby, or elderly, whether young, middle-aged, or older, everyone received an equal share. Would that be fair? Would that be just? I think we all know where that would all end, it would all end up in a courtroom somewhere. Some judge would have to decide what is fair and just.

Well then what is fair? We can ask ourselves we who have been given much, in fact we who have been given everything, how does our work measure up to the grace which we have received? How have you labored for your Lord? Have you lived the 10 commandments each and every day? Have you shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone every day? Have you lived a perfect life, in thought, word, and deed. Have you been perfect to those who are around you, no matter how they have treated you? You all know that you are to treat your neighbors as yourselves, but as Christians do you remember that much more is asked and required of you?

And don’t forget that at the end of your last day you and I will all stand before that judge who will determine what is fair, what is just. And will be the standard for fair? Well from the parable we know that “fair” is not based upon how hard you have worked, nor how it does not matter how long you have worked.

The landowner is God and it is He who gives to you His Kingdom. Jesus Christ saw you before you ever entered the harvest field, because he knew you before you born. He chose you, He called you by name, and then He placed His Name upon you in Holy Baptism. God is the landowner who pays us the same whether we were called early in the morning of our lives or whether He called us as the sun fades on our lives.

And if we want to say that’s unfair that we’re being treated equal to others when we should be treated differently, then thank God you are being treated unfairly. For God sent His Son into this world, and His Son was crucified so that we all may receive equality. It is who Christ took an unequal share of our sin, in fact He took all our sin with Him to that cross. It is Christ who is the only one who is truly just. It is unfair that Jesus Christ bore unequal burden to give us the promise that all the sins of the world would be paid. His payment of death was not fair, it was not equal, it was not just. Yet the grace which He freely gives us is given in equal shares. In your baptism you were offered an equal share, today in Holy communion your are offered an equal share. And the share Christ gives is His free grace. He forgives your sin sick soul, He renews your faith, He gives you the promise of eternal life. And at the end of the day, at the end of all your days on this earth...know that in a sense, you will be treated unfairly. For on the last day of your life, you will receive your payment and it will be equal to that of all who would believe. It will not be a time of angst or grumbling, in fact it will be a time of eternal rejoicing. For there will be no time of comparing notes to see who did the most, no looking back to see who just made it in. No the last will be first, and the first will be last, and that means that in the end it will be a heavenly tie and so the payment will be the same for everyone. Receive your pay, based solely upon Christ who is faithful and just, for it is Jesus Christ who give you eternal life and that is a just payment indeed. Amen.

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