Septuagesima February 17, 2019 The Sunday of the Laborers in the Vineyard

Septuagesima
Matthew 20:1-16
February 17, 2019

“Testing – Trusting”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Why are we never content? Why are we not happy with what we have? Because whatever we have, we inevitably see someone else who has something better or has more than us. That’s the problem, right? You have a nice phone—a Galaxy S7. And you like it. It’s a nice phone. Does everything you want. But then you look at your sister’s phone. She has an S10. Ah, now you’re not happy. Not content. Sure would be nice to have that phone.

Always someone with one better. You like your car that’s five years old. It’s comfortable. Reliable. But then you ride in your friend’s car. It’s only a year old. Has more controls. A clearer screen. Fancier buttons. Whatever. Now you’re not happy. Discontented. When can you trade off your vehicle for a new one?

So maybe there’s an easy solution to our problem here. Why don’t we make a world where everybody has the exact same stuff? Same phone for everyone. Same car. Same exact house. Same salary. Same clothes. Same snowblower. Whether you live in MN or in TX. Everything equal across the board. Now we’ve solved it. No more discontent. No more envy. Jealousy. No more greed, right? This is the perfect solution?

But there’s just one problem. That’s already been tried. Basically. It’s called Socialism. And then Communism. And we know for a fact that socialism and communism lead to corruption, misery, poverty, and murder. Apparently God didn’t intend for us all to have the exact same stuff. If He did, He would’ve made the world quite differently than He did.

Actually, the truth is that God doesn’t want us all to be the exact same, but He wants us to learn to be content with whatever He gives to each one of us. Not with what He gives to someone else. He wants you to be content with what He gives to you. God wants you to be content with everything you have. He, in fact, doesn’t want you to have the same exact stuff as everybody else. Because you aren’t the same exact person as everybody else. There will always, always, always be someone who has more than you or better than you. It’s not important. What’s important is that God will take care of you.

Because there is, actually, one thing that God has given equally to the entire world. There’s one thing that you have that’s just as good as what everyone else has anywhere in the world. No one can claim to have one better than you do. And what is that thing? It’s your one denarius from the parable today. It’s your Savior, Jesus Christ.

When it comes to salvation, you haven’t been shortchanged. You have the very best of the best. It’s not like someone somewhere in the world has a platinum Jesus and you only have the bronze Jesus. Or someone with the genuine Jesus and you only have a knock-off Jesus. You have it all. You have the Son of God right here in body and blood just for you—under this bread and wine is your forgiveness, life, and salvation. So be content in that. You have the real genuine Spirit of God, the Spirit of holiness, in you because you’re baptized and because you have the Word of God. You’ve got it all.

So then, are you and I content? No, still not, right? We’re still angry that so-and-so has a nicer phone. A nicer car. Well, this is where, quite honestly, we need a word of Law. We need to hear a warning. We need to see how serious this truly is when we’re not ever content and happy with what we have.

First of all, you’re testing God. When you’re not happy with what He gives you and you think you need more, you’re testing God. The Old Testament reading today uses very specific words. One of those words is testing. When the Israelites grumbled because they didn’t have water and they quarreled with Moses—Moses says very clearly to them, “Why are you testing the Lord?” And after it was all over, Moses named the place Massah and Meribah because they tested the Lord.

Is it pretty serious to test God? If I said, “Hey, let’s test God today and tell Him that we want 70 degree weather or we won’t be happy,” would you go along with that? That’s sounds pretty serious, right? Deuteronomy 6:16, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” I don’t think any of us likes the idea of testing the Lord. We don’t really want to do that.

Yet that’s exactly what we’re doing when we aren’t happy with what we have and constantly think we need more. Of course, it doesn’t seem like all that big of a deal. If I grumble about my job or my house or my phone. Big deal, right? Everybody does it, right? But understand where this leads. If we’re not content and happy, who are we ultimately blaming for that? God. It’s just like Moses said to the Israelites at different times—“you’re not quarreling with me, you’re quarreling with God.”

Obviously this doesn’t me that you can never change jobs or buy a new house or a new car. That’s fine…if God gives you the opportunity for those things. No problem. But if He doesn’t, then be content with what you have.

Otherwise, if we’re never content and happy with what He gives, then eventually it will lead to a complete loss of faith entirely. In our Epistle today, St. Paul uses the Israelites as a warning for us. They grumbled. They weren’t content. They tested God. And most of them weren’t allowed to enter the Promised Land. They died in the wilderness.

He compares it to a race. You as a Christian are running a race. So if you’re a runner, what do you do to be able to finish the race? You train your body. You exercise self-control, Paul says. You discipline your body. You eat right. You train. You don’t just throw caution into the wind and show up the day of the race to see how it goes.

In the same way, we Christians must discipline ourselves and exercise self-control. This means we must learn to be content and not always want everything that someone else has. We must train ourselves to rejoice in what we have—not in what we think we should have. We must exercise self-control so that we aren’t putting the Lord to the test, demanding that He give us every whim and fancy that pops into our heads.

Now, as you run this race, there are two things that will keep you content and happy and thankful throughout the race. The first thing is this: Jesus follows you everywhere. St. Paul calls Him “the spiritual Rock that followed our fathers”. When they tested God about the water, God told Moses to strike a rock and water poured out. It was a sign. A sign that God can rain water from anywhere. Why? Because Christ was always with them.

They were saying, “Oh no, God doesn’t care about us. He’s not with us. He doesn’t love us. He doesn’t give us water.” But, of course, the whole time Christ the Rock was right there with them. The same with you and me. Anytime that we grumble and complain and test and say, “Why doesn’t God give me this or this or this?”…anytime that we test God and say, “Do you really love me? Are you really with me?”….then we simply need to be reminded that Christ our Rock is always with us.

No matter what else you have in life, no matter what job, what house, what car, what phone—you have Jesus. He goes with you. You’re baptized into Him. You eat His body and drink His blood in the Lord’s Supper. You read and hear His Word where the Holy Spirit works in your heart. So be content. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Exercise some self-control. Some self-restraint. You don’t need x, y, and z to make you happy. You already have all you need.

And the second this to keep you content and happy is these words from Jesus where He says, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” Christians will never be first. Because by the very nature of it, being a Christian means humbling ourselves to love and serve others. So we will never be first in the world. And we shouldn’t. Nor should we want to be first. It’s not any good.

But Jesus’ promise to you is that every though you may be last here on earth, you will be first in heavenly things. No one is beating you to the front of the line for the heavenly reward. You will receive it in full.

So be content. Don’t test God. Don’t think you’ll be happy only if you keep on getting more and more and more stuff. Be content now. The Lord your God is with you. You have Jesus Christ and His forgiveness, life, and salvation. And the last will be first. Be content. Be thankful. Be self-controlled. And run your race looking to Jesus. Amen.