+ 19th Sunday after Pentecost – October 4th, 2026 +
Series A: Isaiah 5:1-7; Philippians 3:4-14; Matthew 21:33-46
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We have certain expectations when it comes to stories. The guilty are punished. The bad guys are caught and brought to justice. The wicked get what they deserve.
But when it comes to the stories Jesus tells in the Scriptures, Jesus doesn’t play by our rules. He doesn’t follow our script. He’s not a god on a leash. He is untamed and yet good and gracious. Always doing what we least expect. Always giving what we don’t deserve. When God shows up in the story so does his unexpected grace and goodness.
We expect the wealthy merchant to shrewdly manage his profit margins. But instead, he sells all he has and buys a treasure he never plans on selling.
We expect the shepherd to cut his losses for one lost sheep. But he leaves the 99 to rescue the 1.
We expect the vineyard owner to pay for every hour of labor. But instead, he pays the last 11th hour workers the same as the first.
So, when it comes to Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants, we can expect the Master of the house to behave in some rather unexpected ways.
Right from the start of the story we know something about the Master of the vineyard. He pours his life into the vineyard. He spares no expense. He provides everything for the vineyard. He plants the vines. Fences the vineyard in for protection. Digs a winepress for the harvest. Builds a tower to survey and secure the land.
Why does he do all of this? Because the Master loves. He loves the vineyard, the fruit, the wine, the joy of the harvest, and the tenants and servants to share it all with in mirth and gladness.
Tragically, however, when it comes time for the Master to send his servants in for the harvest, the tenants have their own designs. Not the gracious party the Master plans, but a power play. A coup. An attempt to take over the vineyard for themselves.
the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
Now this is where Jesus’ story starts to defy our expectations. The Master’s servants end up beaten and murdered and what’s his response? He doesn’t send a team of investigators in. He doesn’t lock up the tenants for homicide.
He sends his servants again. And more of them. And again, the tenants do the same.
What did this Master expect, we think. We know the old proverb: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”
But this Master runs a different playbook than we do. He lives by a different set of proverbs: And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God loved the world in this way, that he gave his only-begotten Son.
And that’s exactly what the Master of the house does next. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
Only they don't respect him. They reject him. They take him and throw him out of the vineyard and kill him. This Master is relentless in his love. His love is constant. Non-stop. Even in the face of continual wickedness, he sends his Son.
And the Son goes into the vineyard knowing exactly what they’ll do to him. Jesus tells this story in Holy Week, knowing exactly what the Pharisees and scribes and chief priests will do to him. And yet he loves them and dies for them just as he loves and dies for you. Yes, he warns them in this parable. He shows them the road they are headed down and where it ends. But again, he does so because he is love and his love is steadfast.
The Lord, the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Master of the house does the most unexpected thing of all. He lets his innocent Son die for the guilty. He places our punishment on the back of the only-begotten Son of God. He gives His Son what we deserve and we who are wicked get what we don’t deserve: his grace and goodness. Jesus takes all of our injustice against him, is thrown out of the vineyard and hoisted up on the cross and crucified to justify sinners like us.
Jesus is the stone the builders rejected. The Father gives his Son who is rejected, defeated, crucified, died, and buried.
And there – unexpectedly. Graciously. Abundantly. In Jesus’ rejection is our redemption. In Jesus’ defeat is our deliverance. Jesus is cast out so are brought in. He is killed and laid in the tomb so he can raise you from yours. Jesus the true Vine is placed onto the winepress of Golgotha. He is crushed. Stamped down. Life and blood and grace squeezed out of him.
Why does he do all of this? He loves the vineyard, the fruit, the wine, the joy of the harvest, and the tenants and servants to share it all with in mirth and gladness. He is the Lord of the vineyard and he pours his life out and welcomes you to the feast. This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment