Finding Faith ... in getting an equal share of God's divine grace

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 3 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Sept. 15, 2020. This was the 23rd digital service we performed after our church was shuttered because of the COVID pandemic.

Well, isn't that a gospel that can punch you right in the gut!

I mean Jesus just what are you talking about? ... We are raised from birth in this nation to think: A fair day's pay for a fair day's work. It might be one of our most cherished pillars of our American culture. From the time we are born, we are taught that what's fair is fair, and that you reap what you sow. We're told this over and over again.

In sports we have referees to make things fair. Our parents chide us when we're not fair with our brothers and our sisters. Isn't that just the American way?

And then comes along Jesus with this stunning parable. A parable about what fairness is actually like ... in the kingdom of God, of course. Throughout this parable, in the landowner's actions, Jesus teaches us that rarely what is true here on earth is true in the kingdom of God. Jesus in this parable, as he often does, is using this extreme example -- or at least, maybe in our opinion, based on our values, an extreme example -- to remind us of the scandalous nature of God's divine grace.

I love the opening each week in our "Confession and Forgiveness" -- if you look back on the first page of your bulletin -- we talk about God's radical abundance of divine mercy. And the fact through Christ we have obtained grace upon grace. It's here that it's important for us to remember that God's grace, his divine grace, is given freely. And there's absolutely nothing that you can do, or not do, here in this kingdom of earth to earn more, or less, grace.

And so in Jesus' parable tonight, he is showing us what fairness, or another principle we like to call "justice," looks like in the kingdom of God versus the kingdom here on earth. He's using this parable to hold up a mirror to each of us so that he can ask us a very important question: Are you really one that hungers for justice? Or are you not?

There are all kinds of ways that this parable applies to our lives, of course, isn't there. Both big and small. I'm sure that each of you tonight sitting here in the few who we have in the audience, or online, can think back to a time where there was an injustice that happened in your eyes, that someone got something equal to you that maybe they didn't deserve. ... Or at least you thought they didn't deserve. Anyone who grew up in a family with siblings probably can rattle of handful of times that they said to their Mom or their Dad, "It's just not fair!"... I know, of course, that I do. And we're rearing four kids, so of course I have heard it too.

One big time that it happened for me was about 10 years ago when I thought I was about to receive a life-changing promotion at work. I mean several company executives above me had ensure me that I was in line for this new job. That I was a "lock." ... Until, of course, I wasn't. Within just a couple of months of that conversation, the company executives made some really important decisions that took the company in a new direction, and worst of all for me, that meant that someone else was promoted above me into the position that I thought that I was going to receive.

And I'm not to lie. I fumed! ... Mostly inwardly, of course. But for months I was not the same person, and I was angry. And it took me a long time before I got over the disappointment of that event. And it took me a long time to get over the thought that this particular action by the company executives violated that principle of fairness. Just like the workers in the vineyard tonight, I felt that I had deserved more even though I never received less than what I was promised.

And that is Jesus' entire point in this maddening parable for some of us. Because with God we never receive less than what we are promised. And we are promised his pure and full divine mercy. ... But here's the catch: So is everyone else! And I can't imagine how for some of us that must feel.

I also can't think of a better message to all of us in such a divisive time in which we are living. This message of Jesus' can be downright offensive to those of us who are so dug in in our political ways, or dug in over our feelings regarding the pandemic, or dug in over our feelings over the economy or social justice issues. ... You name it; it runs the gamut of how we feel.

I mean, after all, God, why do those people on the other side deserve an equal share of your divine grace? After all, they didn't do the work in the vineyard as long as I did! ... They aren't as holy as I am! ... They didn't give as much as I have! ... They don't know the facts that I do! ... And how about this one, which might be the most difficult one of all. They aren't even Christians!

How utterly maddening God! ... It's just not fair! Divine grace for all?

I'm sure that we can all let that simmer in us for this coming week because after all everyone of us has felt this way in some big, or some small, way. But it's not just God's way, and Jesus points this out to us in the parable.

I have podcast I listen to each week. Some of you may have heard of it. I've referenced it before in sermons. It's called WorkingPreacher.org. You can go on you computer and find it as well. It is a useful resource, and it is compiled the professors from Luther Seminary. But there is a small group of professors who gather each week to talk about that week's texts. And on the podcats this week, there was a professor who said this about tonight's parable: "If you truly understand how much you don't deserve God's divine grace, then this parable should not offend you."

And when I heard that something clicked for me. ... "If you truly understand how much you don't deserve God's divine grace, then this parable should not offend you."

I would ask you just think about that for a moment tonight. ... It can be pretty well damning can't it? Because I know that at times I like to believe that I am more righteous than others; I like to believe that I deserve more than others. And so when I heard that tonight, it made me do a double-take, and make me re-read this parable while thinking about placing it in my life, in those place where I am the obstinate vineyard workers saying, "They don't deserve an equal share. I worked harder; I worked longer."

I invite you, Faith Family, in this coming week when you find yourself in those moments where you think it is unjust, or you see something that is unequal and you feel outraged that somebody else is getting that equal share of God's divine mercy, I ask you to think back to this moment and think about that quote one last time: "If you truly understand how much you don't deserve God's divine grace, then this parable should not offend you."

Luckily for all of us, even with all of our selfishness, and all of our biases, and all of our prejudices, and all of our arrogance, we also still inherit God's divine mercy.

And that is the Good News for this Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Sunday, Sept. 20, Faith Family. ... Amen.