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Septuagesima (1891)
Matthew 20:1-16We Christians have two ways about us, the old man, the flesh that is born of flesh thatmakes misery and sorrow, strife and unrest among us, and the new man that is born from theSpirit, from God. This is also evident when we have to answer the question:
Is your eye evil because God is so good?
 1.
Yes, alas, we answer with a contrite heart 
.a. God is so good. He is the householder of the whole world and all earthly goods comefrom His Hand. But in particular He is the householder in His heavenly Kingdom
1
, and Hemanages with admirable goodness. His goodness is that people come into His heavenlyKingdom. It is
His
vineyard
2
; no man is entitled to it. He is also the one who calls people into Hisheavenly Kingdom, He continues to call, He calls early and even calls late.
3
This is all thanks toHis graciousness. According to His goodness He then distributes the goods in His kingdom,
His
 goods, goods of grace.
4
 b. This is greatly displeasing to the natural man. What he has in earthly goods, he writesbest to his account. And he may even have some license on his own account. He also does notwant to live in the spiritual realm of God's grace. It is annoying to him that it is not according tomerit in the heavenly Kingdom; furthermore he murmurs against the householder.
5
And the oldman that
we
, we all have in us, is the same kind. We are self-righteous; how easily we forget, aswe have stood idly in the marketplace until the Lord called us, how easily we forget in theburden and heat of the day that we have perhaps borne.
6
We even like to compare ourselveswith others who have done less and the same or perhaps, in our opinion, those who receivefrom God more than we receive.
7
We are wage-seekers; that it is always "by grace, out of sheergrace," can be very loathsome to us; the Law is not to our liking because it makes us small; theGospel is not palatable because it requires us to do nothing, the powers of men in spiritualthings cannot even retain all of God's grace. Yes, where a Christian does not watch over hisheart, there a true hatred of the Word of grace can spring up, through it faith is even slain, thatdeep inner murmurings even progresses to overt rebellion.
8
 c. Alas. Furthermore, we should be frightened, bear remorse and sorrow. With suchterrible sins we have often and long deserved to be expelled from the Kingdom of Heaven
9
,
1
Matthew 20:20.
2
Matthew 20:1-2.
3
Matthew 20:1, 3, 5-6.
4
Matthew 20:9-10, 14-15.
5
Matthew 20:11-12.
6
Matthew 20:12.
7
ibid.
8
ibid.
9
Matthew 20:14.
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