Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Our Losing King Wins Great Wars (A sermon based on Luke 23:35-43)

Who would you rather root for, a winning team? Or a losing team? Sure, it can be fun to watch the underdog eek out a victory, but wouldn't you rather your team have the best record in the league? When some people look at Jesus, they see a loser --  a man who was tortured and killed for no good reason. But we know what was really taking place on that Good Friday; Jesus was winning the greatest battle the world has ever seen. In losing his life, he won the victory for us. And he wins us when we're all but lost. And through his victory, we're no longer losers, but winners. Thank God and rejoice in the victory won by Christ the King as you read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 23:35-43...


Our Losing King Wins Great Wars

A sermon based on Luke 23:35-43

Sunday, November 24, 2013 – Christ the King C

 

Who do you think of when you hear the word "greatness"? Do you think of Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks? Okay, maybe you think of Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. Or maybe you think of the greats or yesteryear like Michael Jordan or "The Great" Wayne Gretzky? Or maybe you don't think sports, but great men who did great things for our country like Abraham Lincoln or George Washinton? Or maybe you think of a great doctor that handled your surgery so well or a great friend that has it all together? I'm guessing that when you think "greatness" you think of winners, not losers.

That's the way we work. When a team or a person is winning, we're excited. (I'm a bigger fan of the Seahawks now than I've ever been.) When they're losing we may still support them, but they don't seem quite so great. During the days and weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Centers, even his detractors called George W. Bush a picture of presidential greatness, rising to the occasion. But when it seemed like he could never win his war on terror and refused to withdraw the troops, how his approval ratings plummetted! When you win, you're popular. When you lose, you're not so great.

Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. We celebrate how great our King is. But in our text for this morning Jesus seems anything but great. He appears to be a loser. Hanging on a cross, being tortured to death, being mocked and taunted as he dies, he seems anything but great.

And yet, appearances are deceiving. Because in losing that battle, he won the war on terror; the war against Satan, the war against sin, the war against death and hell. And so even though he appears to be a loser, he is the greatest of all. Our losing King wins great wars. He won the war by losing his life. And he wins poor sinners when their lives are lost. Listen to the great work of Christ the King recorded for us in Luke 23…

 

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

 

I.              He Won the War in Losing His Life

 

At first glance our text seems a bit misplaced, doesn't it? This should be a text for Lent or Good Friday, right? Not for Christ the King. What kind of a king is this? Jesus seems pretty weak, doesn't he? He has no throne. He has no army. His own people hated him. His own friends deserted him. Luke describes how weak he appeared…

First, the reaction of the people—some of the same people who cheered on their mighty King on Palm Sunday, now just stood there. Like the rubber-neckers driving past the gruesome car wreck, they couldn't look away. The one they once considered a winner, their champion against the Romans, now hung dying. And all they could do was gape and stare.

But for the rulers, just watching Jesus lose wasn't enough. Like the bad sport who dominates the other team and just has to rub it in afterwards, they had to taunt him. "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." How ironic that they admit, "He saved others…" They freely admit that he was kind, loving, and helpful and did nothing to deserve this cruel fate. But they joked that he can do nothing to stop it.

Even the Roman soldiers, who had little concern for Jewish religious wars, had their fun at Jesus' expense. Luke tells us that the offer of wine vinegar wasn't an offer of compassion or sympathy, but a joke. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." "Here's your royal cup, your majesty. Drink up, your highness." And they too taunted this pathetic "king."

Even Pilate, who wouldn't dream of stooping to be there in person, made sure to get his taunts in. Putting the charge above the condemned man he had a double jab against both Jesus and the Jews. "There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." This dying man was their king, the very best they the Jews could produce. He put the charge in three languages so that all who passed by could read it for themselves and see how sorry this "king" really was.

Finally, even the thieves condemned to die with Jesus had something to say. (The other gospel accounts tell us that both were initially taunting Jesus.) They too hurled their insults at him, as if hurting him more would make them hurt less.

Let's face it: Jesus looks anything but great here doesn't he? But how deceptive appearances are! How ironic that they call him "King of the Jews," "The Christ," "The Chosen One." Though he didn't seem it to them, he really was. And even though he seemed to be a loser, what a victory he was winning. But they didn't get it because it was a different kind of battle.

They all expected a physical battle between the Jews and Romans when the Messiah finally came. But Jesus was in the middle of the fiercest spiritual battle the world has ever known or ever will know. He was in single-handed combat with the allied forces of Satan, sin, death, and hell. He took sin head-on, taking every sin of mankind of all time on himself. He crushed Satan's head by letting his heel be bitten and his life taken. He destroyed the power of hell, by enduring hell on that cross. He swallowed up death by his death for us. How ironic that the rulers sneered, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One," because the Christ of God, the Chosen One, did save others precisely by refusing to save himself. And by losing, he won. By losing his life, he won the war!

 

And is any of this different today? Christ still appears weak for the most part, doesn't he? "After all," some taunt today, "How can you really believe you're saved from death by some guy who lived 2,000 years ago?!" or "If God is so powerful and loving, why doesn't he save us from our problems?"

But Christ is not weak. He's not powerless. It's just that he didn't come to fight the battle of politics or to end world hunger or suffering and pain in this life. He came to remove our sins and take us to life eternal. But even the way he does that appears weak!

"Water poured on a baby's head is supposed to create faith? What?!" "You call that bread and wine Jesus' body and blood? You really think that this church rite forgives your sins?!" "Reading this book of stories is really going to change my life? Yeah, right." "If there really were an all powerful God, he wouldn't come in such weak ways."

And for thinking our King really is weak, or at least for acting like he is by neglecting his powerful Word and Sacraments, we deserve to suffer the hell and the agony that he endured on the cross. We, who think we're so great, really are weak. And we deserve nothing but hell. But in his grace, Jesus didn't stop fighting when sin was paid for and hell defeated. He continues to fight to win poor sinners to him when their lives are lost to hell…


II.            He Wins Poor Sinners when Their Lives Are Lost

 

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

 

What a sad man, this poor thief. Matthew and Mark make it clear that both of the men crucified with Jesus heaped insults on him. Both had wasted their lives taking what they didn't earn and it seems by force. Both were unbelievers lost to hell.

But all of a sudden one man's tune changed. No longer did he curse Jesus or taunt him, but he defended him, praising him. What brought about such a 180 degree turn at the last minute? It must have been what he saw in Jesus that day. Maybe he was impressed by the way Jesus remained silent when any other innocent man would curse those crucifying him with choice words. Maybe it was the way Jesus took the pain and the agony, almost as if he welcomed it. Maybe it was the words of forgiveness spoken of those who tortured him.

Or perhaps he knew his Old Testament. Perhaps he recognized Psalm 22 when Jesus cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Maybe he recognized Psalm 22 being fulfilled as "they divide[d] [his] garments among them and cast lots for [his] clothing." (Psalm 22:18)  Or perhaps he knew Isaiah 53, which pointed out how he would win while he appeared to be losing…

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

In some way, by Jesus' words and actions this unnamed thief recognized what few others did: Jesus really was a king. When almost everyone else saw a weak, pathetic, defeated loser, this man saw his King, his hero, his Savior.

He had true faith in Jesus which he expressed in his clear confession of his own sin: "[I am] punished justly, for [I am] getting what [my] deeds deserve," and his clear confession of his Savior: "this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

And Jesus response? "Forget it! Now you want to turn to me? Where were you a couple of minutes ago when everyone was taunting me? Oh yeah, you were right there with them shouting your jeers and curses right with the rest! No! Forget it! You're right! You are getting what you deserve!" Well, that's what you and I might say. We might have assumed he was insincere in this last-minute deathbed confession. We may have written him off as a lost cause. But not Jesus. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

And thank God that that was his response, because each one of us is a "lost cause" too! If you thought to yourself, "At least I'm not as bad as that thief," or "at least I'm not as bad as those rulers and those soldiers who taunted Jesus," then I'm afraid you're guilty again. Your pride in thinking you're less of a sinner than others is just as bad as mugging someone! We are losers. We say "I'll do better next time, God, I promise," but when next time rolls around we sin again. Or we resist the sin and think "I'm so good! I don't need Jesus anymore!" How fallen we are! What losers we are in God's sight! We deserve to be lost forever in hell.

And who in their right mind would fight a battle and risk their life in order to save an enemy who hated him?! Who would willingly sacrifice his life to save someone he knew wouldn't appreciate it?! Who of you would volunteer to become a worm in order that you could be ridiculed by the other worms, tortured to death by them, sent to hell in their place to save them? What a loser you'd be right? To fight a battle for a bunch of worms, most of whom would reject you and go to hell anyway! Thank God that we have such a losing King, who gladly lost his glory in order to win sinners like us when we were hopelessly lost.

And by the seemingly weak words, water, and wine, he brought you to and keeps you in your faith. And by the might of this King, you are no longer a loser! You're forgiven! You're victorious! You're powerful! And paradise itself is yours!

Now dear friends, rejoice in your King! Praise him! Serve him! Resist the temptations you face! You have that power! Your King defeated satan and sin on the cross! Don't rely on your strength, but on his. Though he doesn't always look like a king, he is the most powerful—the greatest!—King there ever was. Trust in him and in the victory in paradise you have through him! Share your King and that powerful King will work through you. Weak as you might be, in that "weakness" is forgiveness, power, victory. You know the power of your King. In his name, dear friends, amen. 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
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Monday, November 18, 2013

We Are God’s Children (A sermon based on Luke 20:27-38)

How do you know that there's really a resurrection from the dead? How do you know that you're worthy to be a part of it? In this week's sermon, Jesus assures us that there is indeed a resurrection from the dead. God is the God of the living, not the dead. And through his sacrifice for you, you are worthy to take part in that resurrection to eternal life. We can be absolutely certain of this. And this certainty that we will join the saints triumphant one day soon changes the way we live right now. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 20:27-38 and rejoice that we are God's children...

We Are God's Children

A sermon based on Luke 20:27-38

November 17, 2013 – Saints Triumphant

 

"Good afternoon, miss!" the sales clerk said, "How are you today? And oh! Congratulations! When's the baby due? …Wait… What? You're not pregnant, are you?" Assumptions can often cause embarrassing mistakes, can't they? For this sales clerk it likely even cost him a sale. But sometimes assumptions can have much worse consequences.

This morning we hear how a religious sect in Jesus day made some spiritually fatal assumptions. You see they assumed that the only things anyone could be certain of were those things they could see and touch and experience with their senses. And so, having never seen anyone rise from the dead, they assumed that this life was all there was.

Threatened by Jesus popularity and concerned that he might steal their following, they set out on Tuesday of Holy Week—the week that Jesus died—to make him look foolish. But their assumption was wrong. Dead wrong. Here's the trap the Sadducees set in Luke 20:27-33…

27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

The Law of the Leverite said that if a man died without leaving an heir behind, his brother (if unmarried) must marry his deceased brother's wife to provide a legal heir for his dead brother. This was to ensure that the inheritance—especially the land—would remain in the tribe to which it belonged from generation to generation.

 "If there was a resurrection from the dead," the Sadducees assumed, "according to this law the woman of seven brothers would be the wife of all seven in the life to come. Did God have polygamy in heaven? No. This was clearly against God's law too." And with what they thought was flawless logic and probably with a bit of a smirk, they "proved" that according to Moses there could be no resurrection from the dead. If there were, God's law would contradict itself. "How foolish," they thought, "to believe in the resurrection." And they'd point out just how foolish any Rabbi was who believed it in.

But they assumed too much. And in love Jesus corrected their foolish assumptions by pointing out what God's Word said. And when he did, he left us some comforting assurance that we are God's children worthy of the age to come and certain of the age to come.  In Luke 20:34-38…

34 Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

 

I.      Children Worthy of the Age to Come 

The conclusion at which the Sadducees had arrived was correct if their premises were correct. But Jesus pointed out they assumed too much. The rules of heaven aren't the same as the rules of earth. In heaven marriage will be obsolete. Why? Well, what are the purposes of marriage? 1) God established marriage for procreation—that is, to make babies to replace the people who die. 2) For companionship, he gave Adam a suitable helper. And, 3) For pleasure God gave woman to man and man to woman that they might enjoy each other.

But in heaven there will be no sin, and thus, no death, and no need to make new people. In heaven with no sin we will have perfect companionship with everyone—even with Jesus himself. If this bothers some of you that you won't be married in heaven, think of it from the perspective of a 3-year old. Tell him that one day he will move out of the house, away from mom and dad to start his own family, and he'd be devastated. Because his relationship with mom and dad are the best he could imagine, but when he grows up to find a wife, he understands. In heaven, our most important relationship will be the one we have with God—face to face! And finally, in heaven, in the presence of God, we will experience pleasure and joy beyond anything we could ever know in this life on earth. Marriage is obsolete in heaven. The rules are different there.

But by their faulty premise, assuming the rules were the same, the Sadducees came to the wrong conclusion that there was no life after death. And if this life is all there is, there's no real accountability to God, and no real need for a Savior. If left to their bad assumptions, they would soon discover how wrong they were about life after death in an eternity of separation from God.

But Jesus loved them too much to simply dismiss them, muttering "Stupid Sadducees" under his breath and walking past them. And with one word he got their attention: worthy. "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage…" Not everyone, Jesus subtly warns, will make it into heaven. Only those who are considered worthy. But who's that?

Well, it wouldn't include the Sadducees if they continued to reject Jesus. Jesus implies as much. They wouldn't experience the resurrection from the dead. Oh, they too will rise again bodily on the last day, but only to have their body join their soul in eternal death. So it's not really a resurrection from the dead. That's why the Sadducees are so very sad, you see?

And it won't include the skeptics like the Sadducees who still deny the existence of life after death today because they cannot see it or prove it. But what about us? Are we considered worthy?

Some think they are. For others that question haunts them. Am I worthy of God? And the truth is we're not worthy! Not on our own. The Sadducees aren't the only ones who are skeptical, they're not the only ones to deny clear teachings of the Bible. And even if we believe what the Bible says, how often do we do what we believe?

I heard a young mother warn her child at Walmart, "You'd better stop whining and acting like you are, or we're not going to get you that special treat I promised." But the kid kept it up. He stuck out his tongue at his mom and talked back. And of course, the kid didn't get the special treat. He wasn't worthy of it anymore. In fact, he was taken out of the store. The mom left the cart right where it was, full of groceries. She's have to shop another day.

But how often aren't we just like that little kid? God tells us what he wants, what he expects, and what he demands of us. He tells us what the consequences of our disobedience will be. But we either don't believe he means it or simply don't care. And by our thoughts, our words, our actions, by our failure to know what God says in his Word, by our daring to challenge God and saying, "Do you really mean it?" we might as well stick out our tongues at God. Are we worthy to receive the heaven he promised?

No. Of course not, not on our own. But in Christ, yes, we are worthy. Jesus was perfect. He knew God's Word perfectly. He obeyed God's Word perfectly. And then he gave his perfection away—to us. The perfect Son of God was abandoned by God so that we might become the sons and daughters of God. Now, even though we are worthy of death in hell, by faith in Jesus, our every sin, our every mistake, our every doubt is forgiven. We are perfect and we are worthy of the resurrection to life, of the age to come. You and I are worthy of heaven. And that means you and I are God's children:

"But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead… are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection."

The dad looked at his daughter and said, "I just don't know where you got your bright red hair from. No one in our family has hair that color. Not me or your mom, or any of your grandparents."

"Don't be silly, dad. You know that I was adopted."

Dad visibly blushed. "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot."

"Dad, how could you forget?!"

"Well, I guess you've been my child for so long, I forget there was ever a time when you didn't belong to me."

In a similar way, God has made you his child. And he deliberately forgets that there was ever a time that you did not belong to him. You are worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection though Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for you.

And now, having made us his children, worthy of the age to come, Jesus also wants us to be certain of the age to come…

 

II.    Children Certain of the Age to Come 

The Sadducees tried to use Scripture—the Law given through Moses—to prove there was no resurrection. But Jesus pointed out that they were, "…in error because [they did] not know the Scriptures or the power of God."

They had plenty of Scriptures that pointed out the reality of the resurrection from the dead: Daniel 12:2 says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Job 19:26-27 says, "And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Isaiah 26:19 says, "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead."

And even if the Sadducees gave more value to the books of Moses—the first five books of the Bible—than they did to the rest of the Old Testament, Moses spoke of life after death himself. Jesus quoted Moses in Genesis 3: 37 But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

You see God told Moses "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"—not "I was their God"—even though they'd been dead and gone from earth for more than a few centuries by then. This, Jesus points out, implies that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were alive and well and able to worship God when God spoke these words to Moses. And using Scripture to interpret Scripture he easily pointed out the Sadducees' incorrect and deadly assumptions. The resurrection is real. 38 [God] is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

And friends that means something to us. The resurrection is real. That means we don't mourn the death of our friends and family who died trusting in Jesus, in the same way. Having died in faith means they were (and are) worthy of the age to come. So you who have lost a Christian parent, spouse, or child to death can rejoice! They are the Saints Triumphant! They are living with their Savior right now! That certainly changes the way we view doesn't it?

And it changes the way we view our own death. We not only thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are already experiencing this eternal life, but we long to join them there ourselves…

Yes, the thought of your own death can be a scary one, even for a Christian, because we've never experienced it for ourselves. But this morning Jesus assures us again that death is not the final answer. As God's children you and I are also children of the resurrection. We will live after death. We will be with our loved ones again. We will be with our Savior. He will wipe every tear from our eyes and we will never again experience any sorrow, frustration, or pain. One day soon we will be the Saints Triumphant celebrating the victory Jesus won for us and how he made us worthy of that age to come. Of that we can be certain.

And friends, this truth—that God is the God of the living—changes the way we view our life right now.  If you knew for sure that you were going to receive $10 billion dollars tomorrow, would you act differently today? You know that very soon you will receive not just some money, but eternal life in paradise! If you knew you would die one month after receiving the $10 billion, that you couldn't take it with you, would you spend it differently? Would you use it on something that would last and outlive you?

Live differently today. You don't know what tomorrow will bring. Show your gratitude today and give thanks to the Savior who made you worthy of that age to come. Live as if this life were nothing but a short journey to your final destination in heaven because that's exactly what it is. View your wealth not as something to be gathered, but something to be used to serve him in thanks. View your time as your limited opportunity to share with others the incredible news that you are God's child, a child of the resurrection, and that they can be one too. 

And live your life in patience and in quiet trust. Because no matter what may happen in this life, you and I can be sure that we are God's children, worthy in God's sight because our sins have been washed away. We are God's children, certain that we will live forever with our Savior as Triumphant Saints. In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Read sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Sermons
Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
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Sunday, November 3, 2013

Put Your Mina Where Your Mouth Is (A sermon based on Luke 19:11-27)

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What matters most to you in life? How do you show it? Do you spend resources -- time, energy, money -- on that endeavor? In other words, do you put your money where your mouth is? In our text for day, Jesus tells us we ought to put our mina where our mouth is -- that is we invest the Gospel in our lives and in the lives of others that we and they are ready for Judgment Day. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Luke 19:11-27 and be encouraged to put your mina where your mouth is...

Put Your Mina Where Your Mouth Is

A sermon based on Luke 19:11-27

November 3, 2013 – Last Judgment Sunday

 

"Put your money where your mouth is." That's an English expression which means if you're really sincere about a belief you'll do more than just talk about it. If you believe in it, you'll support it. If you make a commitment, you're ready to follow through. You don't just talk, but put what's most valuable to you on the line. "Put your money where your mouth is."

Though these words weren't spoken by Christ, though they're not found anywhere in the Bible, they do have a spiritual application we can make. This morning is Last Judgment Sunday, where we're reminded that Jesus "will come again to judge the living and the dead" and all will be called to give an account before a just and holy God. That Judgment Day is coming and coming soon compels us to make the most of our time on earth before it comes. And it pushes us to follow through on what we believe, to put our money, or in the words of the parable Jesus speaks, to put our mina where our mouth is. Listen now to the parable Jesus taught in Luke 19:11-27…

 

11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' 14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' 15 "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16 "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17 "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' 18 "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19 "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' 20 "Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' 22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' 24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 25 "'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' 26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.'"

 

Before we make any spiritual applications, perhaps we first need a quick explanation to what all the parts of the parable stand for. Verse 11 helps us with that task. Luke tells us Jesus told this story because, "the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." In other words, they thought Jesus was an earthly king who was about to establish his earthly kingdom. Jesus would correct that and point out that not only was he not going to establish his kingdom now, but that he would soon go away.

The man of noble birth then, is of course, Jesus, the most noble man who ever lived. Just as Herod had gone to Rome to receive official ruling power in Palestine, Jesus would leave this world before he would come back to rule. And of course, he has left. But he will come back again. And when he does, he will judge all people.

The subjects who hated the king, the ones who would be killed upon his return, those of course are unbelievers—those who reject Jesus' rule and prefer instead to be on their own. Judgment Day is coming. The servants, then, by obvious contrast, are believers, those who receive gifts from God to be used until Jesus returns.

But finally, to really understand this parable we need to understand what exactly the minas are. A mina is equal to three months wages, so somewhere around $10-15K today. So obviously whatever the minas represent are of great worth. What are they? Some have suggested that they're physical blessings that God has given us, other have suggested that like the parable of the talents, they're gifts and abilities we're given. But notice in this parable the master gave each servant the same amount. And you know that that's just not the case when it comes to earthly possessions or even gifts and abilities. People receive those in differing amounts.

So what do the minas represent? What is of great value that God has given each of us in equal measure that he wants us to put to good use until he returns? It can only be one thing: The gospel found in the Word of God. So why does Jesus tell this parable? To warn us to not just pay lip service to the gospel, but to be faithful servants of it, putting our faith into action, putting our money where our mouth is.

 

The Last Judgment—Judgment Day—is coming. And on that day all will be called to account. How will we do? Will we be like the last servant?

"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' 22 "His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' 24 "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

Why did this servant refuse to put the king's money to work? Was it really out of fear? It couldn't be. The king saw right through his weak excuses. If he was really afraid of the king, wouldn't that fear push him to do whatever he could to avoid the king's wrath? But instead he wrapped it up, tucked it away, and apparently forgot all about it. He didn't appreciate the gift that his master entrusted to him. So, the king took it away.

But how about us? Are their times when we play the role of this servant? Perhaps you've heard words like these come out of your mouth: "I don't have time for Bible Class. But come on, I go to church. I have too much to do already. I already give to church, why should I try to give more? I have a hard enough time making end's meet! I'm not very comfortable talking about my faith. What if I say the wrong thing?"

I understand that we all have lots to do and that our time is limited. I understand that money doesn't come in endless supplies. I understand that sharing your faith can be intimidating. And so does God. But we have to ask, "Do I always put my mina where my mouth is? Do I always put God's Word to work in my life? Or do I make excuses?" …

Let me answer for you. No, you don't always give the gospel the honor and respect it deserves. Neither do I. We let our Bibles gather dust, we let busy schedules crowd Jesus out, we live selfishly. And for these sins God has every right to take his gifts away. He has every right to take away his Word, to take away the promises found inside, to take away forgiveness and heaven itself.

 

But he doesn't take them away. Instead he does for us, as the king did for his servants: 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' Notice where the servants got the money from. The king gave it to them. They didn't earn their mina. We're given no reason to believe they deserved it. It was a gift from their master.

And so it is with the gospel. The good news that a man of noble birth, Jesus, the very Son of God, came to earth and to the cross to take the punishment we deserve for our laziness, our apathy, and our neglect of God's precious Word—this message is entrusted to us. It isn't given to us because we're special. It's certainly not because we're sinless. But we receive the gift of God's Word—the good news—and the grace and forgiveness we find in it only because we have a gracious God.

And he's made it clear that he doesn't want us to tuck it away in some safety deposit box. He wants us to invest it like the two faithful servants: 16 "The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 17 "'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' 18 "The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' 19 "His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

How does God want us to invest the mina of the gospel he's entrusted to us? Two ways: He wants us to study it and he wants us to proclaim it.

And just look at the investment opportunities we have! The opportunities you have to grow in your faith abound! You have an opportunity to worship here at church every week! You have opportunity to attend a Bible class every Wednesday! You have Meditations, email devotions, the Bible on the web, on CD's, on MP3's, hundreds of quality books to read or hear! You have so many opportunities to invest the gospel in your own life!

And the opportunities you have to share your faith abound! Demographics show that 1 out of every 3 Alaskans don't claim to be Christians. And how many of those other 2 are actively attending somewhere, growing in their faith, preparing for Judgment Day?

What opportunities surround us! Look at the opportunities we have to share the gospel with the children and families of the school here by our service, our support and our prayers. Look at the opportunities to invite a friend to hear the Word of God—at worship, at Bible class, or perhaps less intimidating, at a coffee shop, or even in your home! Look at the opportunities we have to support the gospel work we can't do ourselves as we walk together in a synod full of believers that share our exact same faith!

So let's make the most of every opportunity that God gives to invest the mina of the gospel that he's entrusted us. Sure, it may be hard work, sure it may not always be fun, but we still do it gladly! Because our Savior did the real work for us in dying on the cross and we're grateful for it. Because Judgment Day is coming and coming soon and we don't want anyone to suffer the fate of those who reject the king! Because we're promised that our investments will pay off and God in his grace will reward us richly.

We may not be put in charge of any cities for faithfully serving God, but that's okay because God promises we'll get something even better. As we grow in God's Word, as we go with God's Word, God will strengthen our faith. We'll grow more certain that we are God's children, forgiven and holy, with no fear of Judgment Day. We'll be certain we will live forever in heaven. And we'll continue to re-invest that faith as we serve him faithfully until that great and glorious day!

And when he does return at the Last Judgment we'll be able to see the return on our investments. We'll stand among the saints in heaven (some of whom are there because of us) and we'll hear our master say to us, "Well done, my good servant[s]!" That Day—Judgment Day—is coming soon. Let's work while we can. Let's work faithfully. We've been entrusted with the gold coin of the Gospel! We've been given great opportunities to use it for the eternal benefit of others. So let's get to work and put our mina where our mouth is! In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen. 


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

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