Removing the Origin of sin [Septuagesima]

 

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE

READINGS FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE:

• Exodus 17:1-7

• 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5

• St. Matthew 20:1-16

Grace to you and peace. (1 Thess 1)
 
Who speaks to you on this day from His Gospel heard, saying:

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”

 
We talk about sin a lot in the Church. Some even say that the Lutherans are notorious for being gloomy and sour-krauts, so much does sin permeate our conversations, hymns, and liturgy. I don’t understand the problem seeing how you don’t get to the forgiveness of Jesus except through repentance and repentance includes recognizing and owning your sinful nature. Rather, for Lutherans, the Gospel is the goal. The more Gospel the better, though we must walk through the valley of the shadow of our sins.
 
All our problems are the result of our sinfulness. Our problem with Evil is the result of sin. And all too often we take our own side, I mean who wouldn’t? When evil happens to us, we don’t see what we did to deserve such suffering in this life and when we are suffering evil, we want to solve it so it never happens again.
 
Indeed, what we do with evil is what we do with Original Sin. We treat it as a textbook subject, a laboratory object. We observe it and study it to see where it came from, what it does, and how it affects things around it. Maybe it was part of the apple from the Garden. Maybe it was the breath of the Serpent. Maybe it could be treated with a vaccine?
 
This is the argument from the workers in the vineyard who have “borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat”. They have put in the work, they have made themselves worthy, they deserve everything coming to them. What they put in, they should get out which would add up to much more than one denarius. 
 
So they say. But what of their work? Was it truly up to standards or was it just work? Now, in the civil realm, we should absolutely get compensated for our time. That is the definition of mutual exchange. Someone wants our labor and skills and agrees to exchange that time for remuneration, whatever that may be. 
 
But does that same exchange work in the heavenly realm? Has God ever said, “equal pay for equal work”? To be mean, I don’t think those laborers put up the proper work. Though they “worked”, their work was insufficient, probably even incorrect. Their work did not meet the standards of the job contracted to them and therefore no matter how much of that sort of work they do, it would never break through to the next pay scale.
 
This is Original Sin. We start below scale and do not have the ability to progress and are passed up for every promotion. We work hard, and think that our hard work is enough, but if we aren’t doing the proper work then we might as well not be doing anything at all. Our work is cursed from the start.
 
Repent. We can only think of standards as relating to our own person and experiences. We are unable to think out of the box in our sin and therefore force others into our own standards, never thinking that there could be disagreement. This is the cause of all conflicts on earth. We think we are worth more, but no one is buying it.
 
That is not the point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The focus of Jesus was never the work. It was never the payment. It was definitely never the laborers. It is Jesus and also this word Jesus uses for “generosity”, in verse 15. 
 
Now, we can easily silence the ungrateful laborers by first bringing up the original agreement as Jesus did Himself. If that is not enough, we can go on with this “generosity” word and prove that providing the vineyard, providing the opportunity to work, and providing payment for it would be ten times the proof necessary to show just how wrong those workers are.
 
But Jesus doesn’t want to only be right. This is why He leaves His case at the original agreement and instead points to His generosity. Jesus doesn’t want to be right only, He wants to be Good. Good in the way that only God can be Good: eternally and universally.
 
This is the importance of the comparison Jesus uses in verse 15. He doesn’t just say “begrudge my generosity”, but literally, “is your eye evil because I am good”. And the answer is yes. Compared to God Almighty and all His Good work, our eye is evil, our hand is evil, our heart is evil, our work is evil. 
 
Can you make water in the desert to flow for a people dying of thirst who hate you? Can you create an imperishable wreath to award those who do good at the end of their lives? Can you make and offer a spiritual drink from a spiritual Rock that will reach into eternity?
 
First, you would have to not be sinful to do these things. But really this work requires something outside of your standards and something you would never even dream up. The work that accomplishes such feats is described by Jesus immediately following this parable of the workers in the vineyard where, for the third and final time, Jesus predicts His Passion and Resurrection.
 
The real work of the vineyard is crucifixion. The Vineyard, the opportunity for labor, and the wages must be paid for or come from somewhere, especially if it is to be eternal and universal. The standard of labor in the Lord’s Vineyard is the death and resurrection of the Son of God. The water that a man may drink of and never thirst again, flows from the pierced side of the crucified Christ. The imperishable wreath that is the righteousness of God, freely given to all, is purchased by the suffering and dying of Christ.
 
Jesus labors in His own Vineyard, not because “if you want something done do it yourself”, but because in His labor, our labors become eternal and universal. Out of His proper and Good work of enduring the burden of being the Son of God and the scorching heat of the wrath of God on the cross, comes the credit to our accounts of His Goodness.
 
In Christ, you are raised to the standard God desires in His Vineyard. Your evil eye is changed out for His Goodness. Your begrudging of anything that is not you, is converted into the generosity of God in Christ. Jesus works off your debts, you are credited His heavenly, eternal standard.
 
Because the second, true point of this parable is the invitation. Jesus does not have an exclusive Vineyard He keeps to Himself. It is open. He does not even spare His own kingdom, but gives that away as well. And He does so requiring only the belief that it is He Who has done such a thing and no one else.
 
Yes, you are not worthy. Your Original Sin, the sin that originates all sinful thoughts, words and deeds in you, keeps you from even hearing the call for laborers. But the Lord of the Vineyard doesn’t wait for you to hear Him. He comes close. He comes to the place where you are lazing about in your sin and death, unemployed, opens your eyes and ears, and reveals to you this wonderful invitation.
 
That invitation to come to a perfect Vineyard, which basically takes care of itself, and to simply enjoy all the benefits of being there. Of receiving the highest gift anyone could ever receive, that is rewards from the very hand of God. So that no matter what it is, it is eternally sufficient and it is catholic, universal, able to be received by everyone.
 
This is not an Invitation to work, but an invitation to receive from God exactly what He wants to give you. No questions of compatibility, no doubts about qualifications, and no quarrels about gifts. Faith is the universal gift that is from God and that all Christians have, regardless of what they’ve done, who they are, or where they’re at.
 
The Christian’s primary gifts are faith in Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. This is the goodness and generosity of the Crucified Vineyard Master. This is the denarius that our sin and the devil would have us deny and begrudge. 
 
Thus, this becomes our greatest treasure, for not only is it from God Himself, but it is enough to overcome our Original Sin and seat us next to His Son for all eternity. So, while we may find some benefit of debating whether or not this or that fruit is sinful or whether or not this or that lifestyle is hell-bound, rather the Christian simply confesses.
 
Though Original Sin can be somewhat of a mystery, the Christian only has to admit his guilt in the matter. He does not need to search far for proof. No, you did not eat of the fruit of the tree of Eden, but you have the fruits inside you. For you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; you have grieved others by words and deeds; you have stolen, neglected, and have been wasteful, and any other number of personal injuries done to God and neighbor.
 
For these we simply say, “I am a sinner.” We do not take the chance of any one of those being the sin that casts us away from Jesus. If it is Original Sin, that the Lord says we are guilty of, even better. For this means that our Lord and Savior has not just saved us from our sin, but from the Origin of our Sin.
 
He has cleansed and covered us from head to toe and from conception to grave with His righteousness. Since Jesus desires our sinfulness and sins, we give them to Him. He has come for sinners, to make grace abound much more, wherever sin abounds. So, we confess all and more that Jesus can be all in all and more, on the cross, for us.