My Sunday Sermon
So this is why I haven't posted all week. I might post later today on the Proper distinction between Law and Gospel.
Appearances are not always accurate. A few months ago Sports Fans like myself heard from people at ESPN how this was the year the Twins were going to win the World Series. We heard up to two weeks ago, how the Vikings are going to be a better Football team this year; well I don’t even know where to go with this. There are times when we see something that looks delicious, and we take a bite, and it doesn’t satisfy quite like we want. A lot of us have thought a movie looked really good, only to be thoroughly bored for two hours while watching it. Today’s Gospel reading deals with appearances. How appearances can be misleading, and how one’s salvation doesn’t come by their works or appearances.
In today’s Gospel reading regarding the Parable of the Two Sons. Jesus is talking about what it means to Repent. Repentance being the central teaching of all of scripture according to Martin Luther. Repentance means to confess that you have done wrong, and cannot save yourself before God, that only through Christ’ defeating sin by his sinless life, and defeating death by his resurrection that we are saved before God. It doesn’t matter what your appearance is to others, but your faith before God. Repentance is a confession of your need for Grace. “That you can’t go to heaven, because of your good works, but because of Christ. So how do I see this message comes from this text?
Now Jesus was talking to the Pharisees here. We know this because if one looks down to Matthew 21:45-It explains that Jesus was telling a collection of parables this one included to the Chief Priests and the Pharisees. Now the Pharisees were the scholars defined by how well they followed the Jewish Law. The Pharisees were the type of people if they lived here today, would drive the Speed Limit on an abandoned country road in the middle of night. They would never rip a tag of a pillow, per be a violation of federal law. They would never sneak to a better seat in a lopsided baseball-game. So the Pharisees were really committed, and really detailed. To following God’s law as set forth in the Old Testament. Now the problem with the Pharisees isn’t that they followed the law, it was that they were blind to Grace. Since Scripture states “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards for salvation (Romans 3:23) For the Pharisees were so proud of themselves, and how obedient they were of God’s law, that they couldn’t stand to here the message of Grace. They couldn’t stand to think that someone who was associated as a sinner, and didn’t meet their own high standards could be saved. This is why they were always in conflict with Jesus in Matthew 5:20-Jesus told them that even they weren’t holy, and righteous enough to enter heaven because of their own doing. In Matthew 9:11-13-Jesus told them that he came not for the righteous, but for sinners. In Matthew 12-The Pharisees got into an argument with Jesus over whether he should be picking, and eat grain on the Sabbath.
So this shows the Pharisees mindset. They though that through their faithful of observance of Old Testament Rules and Laws that they would be saved with God, and those who didn’t God would condemn. But Jesus would always say “All have done wrong before God, and that it is only because of God’s grace that people are saved. This idea carries itself out in the text. The common view of this parable of the two sons. Is that it is a tells people not to talk, but do action. I disagree strongly with this assessment in that being given to the Pharisee they lived as holy, and seemingly faithful of lives as anybody. The problem with the Pharisees was not a problem of not undertaking action. The problem with the Pharisees was one of having a hard-time of repentance, confessing their own flaws before God and confessing Christ as their savior. This is the parable of the second son. Where as in the case of the first son, you have someone openly disobedient of his father. But despite the First’s son unlikable first appearance, his doing comes from the fact that he acknowledges his sins before God, and trusts in God for his salvation. The exact opposite of the Pharisees. So the contrast here is one of appearance, who is the one who confesses Christ for salvation.
21.28-What do you think? A Man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.”
21.29- Now Jesus speaks of the first son. The type of person that all people would dislike if he was on a reality TV show. The type of guy that if he came home to date one’s daughter would have Mom and Dad reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. And the first son answered I will not go work in the Vineyard. . Here the first son is just stating his natural emotion. He didn’t want to do anything. Just as scripture describes our natural emotion against God is rebellion as stated in Romans 8:5-8, Psalm 51:5. Just imagine if we always acted on the first thought that comes into one’s head, or if we could go before God claiming we have done no wrong in his eyes. But then the text says the First Son changed his mind. What does the author mean “When he uses this term” Now the term Changed his mind is used twice in the Gospel of Matthew. Once in verse 32 of this passage, which talks about how the Tax Collectors and Prositiues changed their minds to believe in him. The change of mind here didn’t refer to the idea that the Tax Collectors and Prositutes suddenly became perfect and holy before God because of any action they did. The Tax Collectors and Prostitues trusted not in their good works, , but in Christ alone. This term changed their mind is also used in Matthew 27:3- When Judas changed his mind seeing Christ condemned. Judas realized he was wrong, and tried to acknowledge the error of his ways. So the point of this passage is the first son acted on his natural emotions which were sinful, he confessed his errors, and his need for Christ. And he was forgiven no matter what he had done.
21.30-Then the Vineyard owner went to the second son and asked him to go work in the vineyard. The second son. Not only gave the right answer in saying that he would. The second son gave the right appearance. The second son is the type of guy that if he walked into this church. People would marvel at how faithful he was. The second son was the type of guy that would have mom and dad high-fiving if he came to date their daughter. But yet the Second Son did not go into the Vineyard. The second son gave the appearance of faith,. For the second son was arrogant and trusted in himself for his salvation. If one wants to know what Lutherans believe about salvation it is “Only Jesus Christ can save us (Acts 4:12), but people’s own sinfulness and arrogance is why people are condemned.( Mark 3:27-28).” Jesus was comparing the second son to the Pharisees. They could fulfill every law, , and do everything imaginable to have the appearance of faith. But their faith was faith in themselves, and their own doing. They saw no need to acknowledge the own error of their ways, and have faith in Christ.
21.31-Jesus asks the pharisees who did the will of their father in heaven? The Pharisees said the first son. This was a rather easy answer for them since they judged people before God on what they did, and they heard a first son taking action.. But then Jesus radically challenges their beliefs in his parable in the second half of this verse. The Pharisees assumed the common assumption of this parable that it was a call to action of which they were very good at. But no. Jesus says “Truly I say to you, the Tax Collectors who were known for their basic organized theft backed up by the State, and refered to in scripture as the worst of all sinners, and the prostitutes will go into the Kingdom of God before you. So here Jesus finds two groups of people that were probably the lowest of the low when it came to the view of the Pharisees. Jesus says they will enter the kingdom of God before you. This is shocking this is radical. Jesus says the people who have lived a life with such an appearance of righteousness, and holiness before God will enter the kingdom of God after the people who would have interacted more today with Cops than with the Church. So the people who are thought of as the most sinful, are made right before God. The idea is given here no matter how good, holy, and faithful of an appearance you give other people, this in no way can save you since no one has meet God’s standards of total perfection, but no matter what you have done wrong, no matter how bad you have been like the Tax Collectors and prosistutes God can save you by grace through faith, and has in Jesus Christ.
21.32-Here Jesus refers to an earlier encounter the Pharisees had with John the Baptist in Matthew 3. In this conversation. The Pharisees come up to John the Baptist and he says that they need to repent, for they have done wrong, it doesn’t matter what appearances they give or what they say, for if we were measured before God by what we did everyone would be thrown into Hell upon their death. But then John said spoke of the way of righteousness, the one who would make it possible for sinners to enter heaven. The one who would make people right with God is Jesus Christ this is backed up in 2 Peter 2. Yet the Pharisees kept trusting, even as they saw Christ, in their own works before God. But as was stated in verse 31- those who society thought of as the lowest, believed in Christ. The people that we might shun if we saw them. They were convicted of their sin, believed in Christ and were saved.
In Conclusion. The Parable of the Two Sons was told by Jesus because it gets at the Radical message of grace. A message that is against our world where if you do this you get this, if you do this better, you get more. A world where appearances, and results mean everything. Yet we are never able to on our own do enough good actions, or works to be right with God. For since we have all sinned in our lives, and made mistakes. Our actions will never measure up to God’s standards. Our confession of this is our repentance. The message of this parable is no matter how bad you have been, how bad you have appeared to others, God out of his love has made us totally forgiven you by faith before him on what Christ has done for us.
Amen
Appearances are not always accurate. A few months ago Sports Fans like myself heard from people at ESPN how this was the year the Twins were going to win the World Series. We heard up to two weeks ago, how the Vikings are going to be a better Football team this year; well I don’t even know where to go with this. There are times when we see something that looks delicious, and we take a bite, and it doesn’t satisfy quite like we want. A lot of us have thought a movie looked really good, only to be thoroughly bored for two hours while watching it. Today’s Gospel reading deals with appearances. How appearances can be misleading, and how one’s salvation doesn’t come by their works or appearances.
In today’s Gospel reading regarding the Parable of the Two Sons. Jesus is talking about what it means to Repent. Repentance being the central teaching of all of scripture according to Martin Luther. Repentance means to confess that you have done wrong, and cannot save yourself before God, that only through Christ’ defeating sin by his sinless life, and defeating death by his resurrection that we are saved before God. It doesn’t matter what your appearance is to others, but your faith before God. Repentance is a confession of your need for Grace. “That you can’t go to heaven, because of your good works, but because of Christ. So how do I see this message comes from this text?
Now Jesus was talking to the Pharisees here. We know this because if one looks down to Matthew 21:45-It explains that Jesus was telling a collection of parables this one included to the Chief Priests and the Pharisees. Now the Pharisees were the scholars defined by how well they followed the Jewish Law. The Pharisees were the type of people if they lived here today, would drive the Speed Limit on an abandoned country road in the middle of night. They would never rip a tag of a pillow, per be a violation of federal law. They would never sneak to a better seat in a lopsided baseball-game. So the Pharisees were really committed, and really detailed. To following God’s law as set forth in the Old Testament. Now the problem with the Pharisees isn’t that they followed the law, it was that they were blind to Grace. Since Scripture states “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards for salvation (Romans 3:23) For the Pharisees were so proud of themselves, and how obedient they were of God’s law, that they couldn’t stand to here the message of Grace. They couldn’t stand to think that someone who was associated as a sinner, and didn’t meet their own high standards could be saved. This is why they were always in conflict with Jesus in Matthew 5:20-Jesus told them that even they weren’t holy, and righteous enough to enter heaven because of their own doing. In Matthew 9:11-13-Jesus told them that he came not for the righteous, but for sinners. In Matthew 12-The Pharisees got into an argument with Jesus over whether he should be picking, and eat grain on the Sabbath.
So this shows the Pharisees mindset. They though that through their faithful of observance of Old Testament Rules and Laws that they would be saved with God, and those who didn’t God would condemn. But Jesus would always say “All have done wrong before God, and that it is only because of God’s grace that people are saved. This idea carries itself out in the text. The common view of this parable of the two sons. Is that it is a tells people not to talk, but do action. I disagree strongly with this assessment in that being given to the Pharisee they lived as holy, and seemingly faithful of lives as anybody. The problem with the Pharisees was not a problem of not undertaking action. The problem with the Pharisees was one of having a hard-time of repentance, confessing their own flaws before God and confessing Christ as their savior. This is the parable of the second son. Where as in the case of the first son, you have someone openly disobedient of his father. But despite the First’s son unlikable first appearance, his doing comes from the fact that he acknowledges his sins before God, and trusts in God for his salvation. The exact opposite of the Pharisees. So the contrast here is one of appearance, who is the one who confesses Christ for salvation.
21.28-What do you think? A Man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.”
21.29- Now Jesus speaks of the first son. The type of person that all people would dislike if he was on a reality TV show. The type of guy that if he came home to date one’s daughter would have Mom and Dad reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. And the first son answered I will not go work in the Vineyard. . Here the first son is just stating his natural emotion. He didn’t want to do anything. Just as scripture describes our natural emotion against God is rebellion as stated in Romans 8:5-8, Psalm 51:5. Just imagine if we always acted on the first thought that comes into one’s head, or if we could go before God claiming we have done no wrong in his eyes. But then the text says the First Son changed his mind. What does the author mean “When he uses this term” Now the term Changed his mind is used twice in the Gospel of Matthew. Once in verse 32 of this passage, which talks about how the Tax Collectors and Prositiues changed their minds to believe in him. The change of mind here didn’t refer to the idea that the Tax Collectors and Prositutes suddenly became perfect and holy before God because of any action they did. The Tax Collectors and Prostitues trusted not in their good works, , but in Christ alone. This term changed their mind is also used in Matthew 27:3- When Judas changed his mind seeing Christ condemned. Judas realized he was wrong, and tried to acknowledge the error of his ways. So the point of this passage is the first son acted on his natural emotions which were sinful, he confessed his errors, and his need for Christ. And he was forgiven no matter what he had done.
21.30-Then the Vineyard owner went to the second son and asked him to go work in the vineyard. The second son. Not only gave the right answer in saying that he would. The second son gave the right appearance. The second son is the type of guy that if he walked into this church. People would marvel at how faithful he was. The second son was the type of guy that would have mom and dad high-fiving if he came to date their daughter. But yet the Second Son did not go into the Vineyard. The second son gave the appearance of faith,. For the second son was arrogant and trusted in himself for his salvation. If one wants to know what Lutherans believe about salvation it is “Only Jesus Christ can save us (Acts 4:12), but people’s own sinfulness and arrogance is why people are condemned.( Mark 3:27-28).” Jesus was comparing the second son to the Pharisees. They could fulfill every law, , and do everything imaginable to have the appearance of faith. But their faith was faith in themselves, and their own doing. They saw no need to acknowledge the own error of their ways, and have faith in Christ.
21.31-Jesus asks the pharisees who did the will of their father in heaven? The Pharisees said the first son. This was a rather easy answer for them since they judged people before God on what they did, and they heard a first son taking action.. But then Jesus radically challenges their beliefs in his parable in the second half of this verse. The Pharisees assumed the common assumption of this parable that it was a call to action of which they were very good at. But no. Jesus says “Truly I say to you, the Tax Collectors who were known for their basic organized theft backed up by the State, and refered to in scripture as the worst of all sinners, and the prostitutes will go into the Kingdom of God before you. So here Jesus finds two groups of people that were probably the lowest of the low when it came to the view of the Pharisees. Jesus says they will enter the kingdom of God before you. This is shocking this is radical. Jesus says the people who have lived a life with such an appearance of righteousness, and holiness before God will enter the kingdom of God after the people who would have interacted more today with Cops than with the Church. So the people who are thought of as the most sinful, are made right before God. The idea is given here no matter how good, holy, and faithful of an appearance you give other people, this in no way can save you since no one has meet God’s standards of total perfection, but no matter what you have done wrong, no matter how bad you have been like the Tax Collectors and prosistutes God can save you by grace through faith, and has in Jesus Christ.
21.32-Here Jesus refers to an earlier encounter the Pharisees had with John the Baptist in Matthew 3. In this conversation. The Pharisees come up to John the Baptist and he says that they need to repent, for they have done wrong, it doesn’t matter what appearances they give or what they say, for if we were measured before God by what we did everyone would be thrown into Hell upon their death. But then John said spoke of the way of righteousness, the one who would make it possible for sinners to enter heaven. The one who would make people right with God is Jesus Christ this is backed up in 2 Peter 2. Yet the Pharisees kept trusting, even as they saw Christ, in their own works before God. But as was stated in verse 31- those who society thought of as the lowest, believed in Christ. The people that we might shun if we saw them. They were convicted of their sin, believed in Christ and were saved.
In Conclusion. The Parable of the Two Sons was told by Jesus because it gets at the Radical message of grace. A message that is against our world where if you do this you get this, if you do this better, you get more. A world where appearances, and results mean everything. Yet we are never able to on our own do enough good actions, or works to be right with God. For since we have all sinned in our lives, and made mistakes. Our actions will never measure up to God’s standards. Our confession of this is our repentance. The message of this parable is no matter how bad you have been, how bad you have appeared to others, God out of his love has made us totally forgiven you by faith before him on what Christ has done for us.
Amen
posted by Stew at 9:57 AM
2 Comments:
Stew, thank you for sharing....I really get a lot out of reading your sermons. I had a little trouble finding the grace in this passage...reading your sermon helped!
Rebecca
Thank You for Your Kind words, don't be afraid to ask for my insights on anything.
Stew
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