March 12, 2016

It Couldn’t Happen, Could It?

5th Sunday in Lent, 3/13/16
Luke 20:9-19


It Couldn’t Happen, Could It?
I. That we would despise God’s word?
II. That we would kill God’s Son?
III. That we would be crushed by God’s judgment?


There were countless stock market investors making millions of dollars. In the past 10 years the value of their stocks had quadrupled. Could the stock market fail? They were sure it could never happen. Then October 29, 1929 hit and overnight they became penniless. Many committed suicide.

They were absolutely certain their ships and fighter planes were safe. An attack wasn’t possible. But on December 7, 1941 the Japanese suddenly appeared over Pearl Harbor and relentlessly bombed the formerly serene military base, crippling the US military in the Pacific.

We knew that al qaeda wanted nothing more than to kill Americans on US soil, but we figured our intelligence agencies and our homeland security would keep us safe. Then what we thought couldn’t happen, did in fact happen. Terrorists took control of four passenger jets on September 11, 2001 and thousands of unsuspecting people died right here on US soil.

Our Savior-God had literally spent 2,000 years grooming the descendants of Abraham to be his special people through whom he would bring into the world its only Savior from sin, the Messiah. Surely when that Messiah would arrive his own people would welcome him with open arms. They would hasten to kneel before him. They would literally contend with each other to serve him in his kingdom, right? There’s no way they wouldn’t accept him. There’s no way they wouldn’t sacrifice all they had if that’s what it took to follow him. There’s no way they would object to his rule in any way, was there?

The parable before us this morning, The Parable of the Tenants, says it could. In fact, what happened was even worse than anyone imagined. But rather than simply berate the people to whom Jesus spoke these words for their hard-hearted foolishness, let’s take them as a warning and then turn it into something positive—an encouragement. Let’s review this parable together and ask ourselves, “It couldn’t happen, could it?”

Part I.

The older I get, the less I’m impressed with success and the more I’m impressed with persistence. Like you, I know far too many success stories that had nothing at all to do with the successful person’s own hard work. It was due to something far less admirable, maybe even something down and dirty. That’s the reason I’m more impressed with persistence. They didn’t give up until they achieved their goal.

Unfortunately, God’s efforts with his people, the Israelites, was not a glowing, unprecedented, unbroken string of successes. In fact, the successes were few and far between. For the most part, the history of the Old Testament Jews was largely one of willful sinning, open rebellion, gross idol worship, and a blatant refusal to be loyal to the only true God.

But through it all, the Lord was lovingly persistent. In the parable before us, the vineyard represents the people of Israel. The tenants are the leaders of the people. The owner is the Lord and he simply wants some of the fruit to which he is entitled, since he owns the vineyard. Three times he sends one of his servants to collect some of the fruit according to the rental agreement without success. Worse yet, the tenants don’t simply refuse to pay, they beat and mistreat the servants.

Take a quick look at the 1400 years of history of God’s Old Testament people—from the time of Moses to the time of Christ—the entire time they were supposed to be God’s nation. Other than for the 40 years of David’s reign, it was almost always a spiritual cesspool. So what does the loving Lord do about it? He sends his prophets, men like Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah, armed with his holy word to call his people to repent and produce the fruits of repentance. And what do his people do? They abused his prophets. They threatened every one of them with death. Legend says they sawed Isaiah in two. The truth is that they, as a nation, didn’t listen to a single prophet sent to them from the Lord. No success, but you have to admire the Lord’s loving persistence. What you thought couldn’t happen did. They despised God’s word.

It couldn’t happen here, could it? I mean, we’re where we should be this morning, hearing God’s word right now. In fact, that’s why we made the trip this morning with one less hour of sleep. We came to hear God’s word, to receive the Lord’s Supper. And that’s great! But have you ever considered worshipping your God to be an unwanted intrusion on an otherwise enjoyable weekend? Have you ever attended a service in which you heard the word of God but as you made your way home, you couldn’t help but be disgusted that you wasted a good hour or two? Have you ever thought to yourself, “I know what God says about this, but right now I have to do what I have to do”? In those instances our God’s efforts with us are meeting with failure. And they happen more often than we realize, but look what he does. His loving persistence causes him to share his word with us, a word that calls us to repentance, a word that assures us that our sins are as far away as east from west through the blood of Jesus. A word that promises us our eternal salvation. It couldn’t happen, could it? That we would despise God’s word? With the people to whom Jesus spoke this parable we declare, “May it never be!"

Part II.

Have you ever seen or heard something that was so ridiculous, you wondered if it was real? That’s my common reaction when someone sends me “red-neck” photos as email attachments. Same thing with photos of Walmart shoppers. It’s so ridiculous, that it’s either staged or photo-shopped. At least, that’s what I think.

So, the tenants abused three of the owner’s servants. Let me see, what should he do next? How about sending his own son? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Not! That’s ridiculous! Who would do such a thing? Spiritually speaking, the Lord would and he did. From a purely human standpoint, that sounds ridiculous.

But the tenants’ reaction is even more ridiculous. Their thinking went like this, “This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. Right! Because the owner is simply going to let us have it. He’s not going to bring the law against us and give us what we deserve. He’ll let us take over what rightfully belongs to him.” That was their ridiculous thinking.
It’s almost comical.

Until you realize that three days after Jesus spoke these words, that’s exactly what the leaders of God’s people did. They told Pilate, “Let his blood be on us and on our children” (Mt. 27:25). It defies logic. But unbelief, in the face of divine revelation, always defies logic. So they killed the Son of God.

It couldn’t happen, could it? Sadly, it did.

It was love that caused God to send his Son into the world. And Good Friday was the greatest sinful example of God’s love being blasphemously spurned. It couldn’t happen among us, could it? In his love for you, God calls you to turn from hateful vengeance. In love he calls you to douse the flames of sinful lust. In love he calls you to flee from soul-killing greed and materialism. In love he pleads with us to allow him to reign in our hearts as our faithful Lord. Have you ever spurned that love? I know I have, more times than I care to admit. And when I do, I’m reminded that it was my sins that nailed Jesus to the cross that Good Friday. So did yours. But there’s the love of our God once again. That all-time number one wicked deed was also God’s love in action. That was your death and mine there on Calvary’s cross. That was our holy Brother dying there for us. It couldn’t happen, could it? That we would kill God’s Son? With the people to whom Jesus spoke this parable we declare, “May it never be!”

Part III.

Two years ago, a couple from Tennessee purchased a vintage West Point sweater at a Goodwill store in Asheville, NC for 58 cents. It turned out to be the one Vince Lombardi wore when he coached the West Point football team. It sold at auction for more than $43,000. What someone thought was worthless was actually a gem.

Listen to what Jesus told these people about the gemstone standing right in front of them, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” The leaders of the people considered Jesus to be a worthless con artist and a threat to their way of life. They brutally discarded him as an unfit member of the chosen people. They pitched him aside like a worthless rock.

But in reality, he was the most precious stone ever to walk the earth. He was the stone upon which the eternal Holy Christian Church is built. Not even hell can overcome it. That stone is the rock on which your life here and your eternal life in heaven are built. Recognize what a gem he is!

Recognize that he belongs to you and you to him! There is no more important relationship than the one you have with him. There is nothing that is more valuable to you than he is. There is nothing more important than your faith in him as your Savior. Nothing!

Sadly, we all know people who have once prized Jesus as their Savior but, for one reason or another, no longer do. He’s no longer #1 in their life. In fact, he’s not even on their list of favorites. They have tossed the Rock of their salvation aside like some common pebble. It couldn’t happen to me, could it? Truthfully? There are some men I once called brothers in the ministry who are in danger of getting crushed by the Rock of their salvation. Don’t say it couldn’t happen to me or to you. But it won’t, as long as we hold to Christ with the arms of faith which are strengthened through God’s word and his sacrament. Stay connected to Christ! It couldn’t happen, could it? That we would get crushed by God’s judgment? With the people to whom Jesus spoke this parable we declare, “May it never be!” By God’s grace in Christ it won’t. By grace through faith in Christ, we are saved. Amen.