Sunday, April 3, 2022

Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-7 8-14
Luke 20:9-20

Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.

We live in a temperate semi-arid region, so it is no surprise when we are dry. However, there are times when we are dryer than normal. In the eighteen hears since we moved to Texas, I’ve written repeatedly about drought conditions. We are in that place again. We’ve had little measurable rain for a long time. A good shower would help green up the lawns, but we need a lot more to restore the earth. Unfortunately, the dry winter means that the wildflowers are struggling to bloom. In a normal year, the ground would be covered by the lovely bluebonnets that blanket the fields in March. At this point, I have only seen a few patches along a highway. Even the neighborhood flowers do not seem to be blooming, though a few of the trees are starting to bud.

There are certain things we expect to see with the coming of the warmer temperatures. I purchased a pot of daffodils, a flower we don’t see in Texas, when I was in Indiana. Many people are anxious to see the crocus shoots as they peak through the last of the snow. We yearn to see the cherry blossoms in Washington. I remember longing for the first lilacs to bloom on our bushes in Pennsylvania. When we see the color on the bushes and in the fields, we know something new is about to happen.

Lent is nearing an end. April 10th will be Passion Sunday and then we will be in Holy Week. The long winter is coming to an end and something new is about to happen. Isaiah proclaims the promise of what is going to be. Do you not perceive it? It is like waiting for those first flowers of spring to burst forth. We wait longingly for it to happen and then when it does we can expect warmer days and green grass.

When I read the Gospel passage, I can’t help but ask myself, “How does someone get there?” Luke wrote, “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’” How does anyone think that killing the son will make the landowner turn his property over to the tenants? It doesn’t make sense to me, and yet seems to make sense to these tenants. They think they have a right to the vineyard; they think that all they need to do is remove the obstacle that is keeping them from what they think they deserve.

I wonder the same thing when I hear stories about people doing extraordinarily horrific crimes. How does a mother get to the point that she truly believes that God is telling her to drown her children in a bathtub? How does a young man decide that the best way to solve his problems is to take guns into a crowded building and shoot anyone in his way? How do residents in a city destroyed by a natural disaster think that it is right to break the windows of stores and take anything they want?

I can understand hungry people breaking into a grocery store to find food to eat, but why do they steal televisions and high-priced sneakers? It is wrong to steal whether the item is worth a quarter or a million dollars, but we can have compassion for those who are suffering extreme circumstances. One of the great questions is whether sometimes the end does justify the means.

Looting often begins with one person who goes for a loaf of bread or a jar of peanut butter to feed their kids, but human nature quickly overcomes conscience and soon others are looting for a whole different purpose. They aren’t trying to meet a need; they use the circumstances to satisfy their desires. They justify the looting by pointing fingers at the rich store owners. An understandable desire to meet human need is easily turned into something ugly and false.

In today’s Gospel lesson, the tenants owed the landowner their rent. It might not seem fair in the way many think today for a landowner to get something from the toil of the land, so it might seem more fair for the tenants to keep the fruit they produced. They did all the work. They tended the vines. They harvested the grapes. They even produced the wine. They worked hard, don’t they deserve to keep the result of their hard work? Besides, the landowner is wealthy. Why does he need a few bottles of wine when he already has so much?

They didn’t begin with the assumption that they deserved the land. When the landowner sent a servant to collect the rent, they simply said no and sent the servant back with a few bruises. The second servant received the same greeting. They made an agreement and refused to fulfill their part of the bargain. Perhaps they thought they deserved to keep the entire harvest because they did all the work.

Or did they? That landowner bought the land and planted the vines; he had a financial stake from the beginning. Is it fair for the tenants to keep all the fruit just because he had more than they? Is it fair for the tenants to live on his land and benefit from his work, without giving him his due? Is it right for them to go against the agreement? The landowner was disappointed by the response of his tenants, but he gave them several chances. He sent servant after servant; each one was beaten and sent back empty handed. How would you respond? Would you send your son?

While I might understand thinking that they deserved to keep the wine, I can’t understand how they thought that they deserve the whole vineyard. How does one go from tenant to owner at someone else’s cost? How does anyone justify killing the son? How can they possibly think that the landowner will respond to the murder of his son by giving the land to his murderers? They think the end justifies the means, and the only end that matters is the one that will benefit them.

We might think that this story speaks to some very real, current issues in our world today, but we need to be careful that we keep this in context. We need to be careful we don’t see ourselves as something better than those tenants. We make mistakes. We focus on our own self-interest. We think the end justifies the means. We don’t know what circumstances might cause us to do whatever is necessary to meet an understandable need and then justify our actions as we walk out with more. We think that we should own the vineyard.

This is a story about God’s Kingdom. The scribes and the chief priests understood what Jesus was saying, and it upset them. They knew that He was talking about destroying those who had assumed they deserved the Kingdom of God, but who were not honoring the Master. They perceived that Jesus was speaking against them, saying that they were not serving God as He intended.

They were right. The servants sent by the landowner were the prophets who had been sent by God over and over again to call the people to faithful living in the covenant. They claimed to follow the letter of the law, but they did not live in a relationship with God. They pursued a righteousness based on their own good works and they rejected the Son who would make them right with God. And they did exactly what Jesus said they would do: they planned to kill the Son.

Now, before we act holier than thou, let us consider our own human nature. We can easily ask the question, “How do you get there?” when faced with a story like this, or when faced with very real stories that don’t make sense. I don’t expect to do anything extraordinarily horrific in my lifetime. But can I honestly say that I’ve never done anything wrong? Can I honestly claim to be righteous before God? Haven’t I rationalized some sin because I faced extraordinary circumstances? Do I ever think that the end justifies the means? Have I told a lie for the right reasons? Have I taken something that wasn’t mine to help someone, even though it is wrong to steal?

Did I kill the Son of God?

It is very easy to see sinfulness in others and think that we would never go there. I can’t imagine ever killing the son of an owner who has entrusted me with his property, but what if after all my work the harvest was poor due to a drought? What if my house was destroyed in a natural disaster? Would I resort to theft so my family could eat? I hope not, but can I say for sure? I’m human and I can be tempted to meet my needs, and even my desires, at the expense of someone else. I’m not as different from those tenants as I want to be.

Just as the landowner bought the land and planted the vineyard, God set the foundation and planted the seeds for His Kingdom. The Israelites were given the responsibility to take care of the Kingdom, but Kingdom belongs to God. He didn’t ask much in return, just faithful stewardship and respect. They refused to give God the respect He is due; they beat the prophets and they would kill the Son. So, God promised to give the Kingdom to others.

The scribes and chief priests saw the “others” as being far from God; the gentiles, pagans, tax collectors were sinners. The Kingdom was theirs because they were the ones that God brought out of Egypt. They were inheritors of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Their forefathers were the ones that experienced the exodus. They deserved the Kingdom; they earned it. They were relying on the past, but God had something greater planned. They were relying on their heritage, but God was about to do something new.

In the passage from Isaiah, God tells the people to forget the things that have gone before. “See, I am doing a new thing.” The God of Isaiah, the God of the Israelites, can do amazing things. He made a path through the Red Sea so that they could escape slavery and oppression. We were not slaves to Egyptians, but we are slaves to our flesh. We are oppressed by the expectations of this world and by the burdens of the Law. We rely on our past and our own good works. We are controlled by our own need for power, by our own self-interest.

Politicians have to put out their best face when they are running for office. After all, the election process is, in essence, a job interview. They want their resume to read well, to focus on the things that they believe will help them do a good job for the people who will be electing them. They tell crowds about their accomplishments, their background, and their experience. They also lay out their plan and hope that the voters will see that the voters will see that they have what it takes to get it done.

Candidates have often included their Christian faith as a part of their resume. This does not bother me, although it does bother some. I would prefer a humble, faithful Christian who will act with mercy and grace, be obedient to God’s law, and follow God’s word. Unfortunately, “I am a Christian” is often just a box to tick on the resume; they wear their faith on their sleeve, but not in their hearts. Their faith is not always evident in the way that they live their lives. Quite frankly, I'd rather have an honest atheist than a pretend Christian. I don’t understand those who vote for someone who claims to be a Christian just because they claim to be a Christian even though their life does not appear to be Christ-like at all.

What does a Christian life look like? Well, first of all we aren’t looking for a perfect person who is without sin, since all men are sinners in need of a Savior. The Christian is humble, recognizes their sin and seeks God’s forgiveness. The Christian will fail on a daily basis, but knows they’ve failed and tries to be changed by God’s Word. The Christian seeks God through prayer and His Word. It isn’t enough to have a writer include a scripture quote in a speech if their lives do not reflect that scripture in the way they speak and walk and work in this world.

Paul knows that it isn’t enough to have the good resume, after all, he had a good one. He had every qualification to be a leader for the Jews. He had confidence in his Jewish heritage, privilege and attainments. He was circumcised, came from a good family, and he lived according to the ways of his people. He was a Pharisee, had the authority to persecute the Christians, and he claimed that he was faultlessly righteous according to the law.

Then he met Jesus. He met Jesus on the road to Damascus and learned that it didn’t matter how good his resume looked if he did not believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Paul had every reason to believe that he deserved to inherit the Kingdom, but he knew that it was all worthless. The only thing that matters is to know Jesus. The only thing that matters is to receive the Son.

If it were based on his flesh, Paul could have been confident of his salvation. Yet, he sets all that aside for the sake of Christ. He does not believe that he has already obtained it all; as a matter of fact Paul knew he was a sinner greater than all other sinners. Yet, he was striving for that which has already been promised and is assured by God's faithfulness. He encouraged the Philippians, and us today, to set aside all that has gone by and continue moving forward toward the promise. God has done something new. While the acts of God that have been done already are great, we can rest in the promise that the best is yet to come. We need not forget the past, but always look toward the future. We need not ignore the flesh, but always keep God in the proper place: as the center of our life.

This is what we want from a leader who claims to be Christian. We don’t need a person who checks a box, quotes the scripture, and does whatever he or she wants to do anyway. I want to vote for a person who walks the walk, not talks the talk. Sadly, there are always those who want to be part of the Kingdom but who aren’t really willing to live humbly under the rule of God. Now, before we act holier than thou, let us remember our own human nature. We can easily point to those politicians claiming one thing and living another, but are we that much different? Can we honestly say that we’ve never tried to take what we think is ours? Can we honestly claim to be righteous before God? Haven’t we all rationalized some sin?

Can we ask the question, “Did I kill the Son of God?” and not tremble in fear at the truth?

The Pharisees recognized themselves in Jesus’ parable. Do we?

Paul has a great set of credentials. He has a long list of reasons why he should be respected among his people. His credentials gave him authority; his voice was one of power and influence. He was qualified to be a leader, to speak on behalf of God about Jewish Law and practice. The whole point of Lent has been to discover those aspects of our life that do not stand up to the expectations of God. The old is past and the new is coming. It came on the cross when Jesus died for our sake. The final road to the cross begins as Jesus sets His anointed feet toward Jerusalem. Like Paul, we have set aside what is behind and we too strive toward the promise, which is assured in Christ Jesus. We are new creations with a new attitude praising God with songs of joy for that which He has done on the cross and for which He is doing in our lives today.

I was once part of a group that helped volunteer for a huge event in our town. Volunteers were needed everywhere to help with security, safety, and hospitality. It was our job to make sure that all the visitors had a great time at the activities and that they made it home safe and sound, uplifted, and ready to take on their world. Every volunteer was given a specific identification card which gave them access to the places they would need to go. Visitors had a certain color, different sorts of volunteers had other colors, staff had yet another color. Since we were volunteers that needed to get behind the scenes, we were given special credentials.

We were also given t-shirts that marked us as volunteers. This made us identifiable to the visitors so that if they had any questions or needs, they would know who to ask. We stood out from the crowd. Unfortunately, for some this was a source of pride, and it was a privilege which was meant to be used. Sadly, it was also abused. Some of the volunteers tried to use their credentials to their advantage. Instead of accepting the identification with humility as a servant for others, it was used as a way to get ahead of the crowds and to get the better place.

Paul had a great set of credentials, so great that when the question of Christianity came up, people were willing to listen to his persecution with respect. He could easily have held his genealogy and his blamelessness above all others because he was right with God according to the Law of Moses. But, in Christ he realized that his credentials were meaningless. Instead of being someone above all others, he knew that his place in God’s kingdom made him a servant of all. He realized that he was not greater than anyone, and even suggested that of all sinners he was the greatest. He had persecuted Christ’s church, and thus persecuted the Savior. He knew now, in Christ, that all that he had was useless. Only in Christ is there righteousness.

We might have credentials that make us worthy to be respected and heard. People work hard to receive diplomas and certificates giving them the authority to make judgments or accomplish certain tasks. Family names give people clout, as does wealth and position in society. Our heritage might be a reason for others to look up to us, to admire us. It might give us access to places where others are not able to go. However, who we are in the world is meaningless when it comes to the kingdom of God. We do not need credentials to get into heaven, we need Jesus. In Christ we are called to set all things aside, to count our life as loss because of Christ. Instead of using, or abusing, our credentials, we are called to suffer the loss of those things so that we might know more fully Christ, His righteousness, and the power of His resurrection.

I think it is interesting that Paul, who advocated repeatedly that salvation is found in Christ and Christ alone, also says here that the salvation we seek is not fully ours. We continue in the race, striving every forward to the day when it will be ours. Paul, who was the Pharisee of Pharisees, Jew among Jews, never thought of himself as the Christian above all Christians. He knew he was a sinner continually in need of the Savior and called to be a humble servant for Him in this world. We might have great credentials, but they are not meant to make us greater than others. Our credentials make us humble servants because we know that Christ is our all and all.

God set the foundation and planted the seeds for His Kingdom. The Israelites were given the responsibility to take care of the Kingdom, but Kingdom belongs to God. He didn’t ask much in return, just faithful stewardship and honor. He asked that they believe in His Son. They refused to give God what He was due; they beat the prophets and they would kill the Son. God promised to give the Kingdom to others. Those others are the ones who recognize their sinfulness and turn to God for forgiveness, even if they are the ones whom the self-righteous think are undeserving. They are the ones who don’t follow God because it looks good on a resume, but because they know they need Him and trust in His faithfulness.

Oh, we can point our fingers, but we are reminded during our Lenten journey that we can fall away so easily. As a matter of fact, it is important that we remember daily how easy it is to stand on our own righteousness. God’s chosen people did it throughout their history. God provided them with a vineyard to tend, but they constantly turned away from Him to worship other gods. They believed that the Kingdom was theirs because they were God’s special people. They were inheritors of the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Their forefathers were the ones that experienced the Exodus. They deserved the Kingdom; they earned it. They were relying on the past, but God had something greater planned. They were relying on their heritage, but God was about to do something new. Paul was among those who did the same, until he met Jesus.

After the long wander in the wilderness of Lent, we are waiting anxiously for this new life that God has promised. The God of Isaiah can do amazing things. He made a path through the Red Sea for those who left Egypt to travel as they escaped slavery and oppression. We are not slaves to Egyptians, but we are slaves to our flesh. We are oppressed by the expectations of this world and by the burdens of the Law. But God is about to do a new thing; He is about to create a path through the sea of oppression so that we will be free. Jesus Christ is the living water that He promises, water in the wilderness that we are given to drink. Soon, very soon, as the blossoms will spring forth in the joyous proclamation of the resurrection, and we will soon rejoice and sing praise to God with all the hosts of heaven.