• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Septuagesima Sunday (1905)
Matthew 20:1-16We men are by nature not content with the reign of God in the world.We cannot comprehend that it often goes so well with the wicked, while thefaithful must bear the cross and all sorts of trouble.
1
Likewise, it displeasesthe natural man that God distributes the goods of His grace in His Kingdomnot by merit but by grace. The natural man gladly compares himself withothers in self-righteousness; mercenary that he is, he looks askance, evenmurmurs against God because He is so good. What does God say about suchmurmuring?
2
We want to focus our attention today on the last part
3
inparticular.
"Am I not allowed to do what I want with Mine?"
 The answer is:1.
God is no man's debtor 
.a. The owner of the vineyard went out to hire laborers for his vineyard.No one came forward to him to work in his vineyard, so he went out to lookfor them.
4
And whom does he call?
5
Idlers who stood idle the entire day.
6
Didthe landlord owe these people something? Had they some claim on hisvineyard? No, none of that. It was kindness that prompted him to addressthem, to give them right and authority to go into his vineyard and work, andto give everyone wages.b. This parable is a picture of the heavenly Kingdom. God is no man'sdebtor. Was He guilty toward the men? The man fell into sin. God conceivedthe plan for his redemption and in time he executed it. Was He guilty towardHim?
7
He has prepared His vineyard, it is His property. No man by nature hasa right to it. By nature we all stand idly in the marketplace of sin; we do notwant to enter into God's Kingdom
8
; we can do
nothing
about it.
9
God goesout through the preaching of the Gospel and calls men into His vineyard.What motivates Him to this? Is it men that are guilty? Has He found in anyone man even the smallest reason for this? No, man is a fallen man, a sinner.In a sinner is nothing but sin and enmity against God.
10
God is not indebted
1 Psalm 73:3; Jeremiah 12:1.2 Matthew 20:13-15a.3 Matthew 20:15a.4 Matthew 20:1.5 Matthew 20:2a.6 Matthew 20:6.7 Romans 11:35.8 Psalm 14:2-3.9 1 Corinthians 2:14, 12:3 (Walther, "Festklänge", p. 103).10 (Walther, "Festklänge", p. 38ff.), Romans 3:23-25.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...