Worship Helps 5

Artwork: An extensive river landscape with the Parable of the Tenants and the Vineyard 

Artist: Philipp Uffenbach

Worship Theme: Jesus makes clear that he is the cornerstone of our faith. Those who believe in him will receive the blessings of which St. Paul speaks in the Second Lesson, telling us to put away the “former things” of this world. Sadly, those who continue to cling tightly to the rubbish of their own righteousness will be broken into pieces or have this “stone of Christ” fall on them and crush them. Let us instead look to the “new thing” of God, the deliverance won by our Savior Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith.

Old Testament: Isaiah 43:16-21

¹⁶This is what the Lord says, who makes a road through the sea and a path through mighty waters, ¹⁷who brings out the chariot and the horses, the army and the strong warrior. They will all lie down together. They will not get up. They are extinguished. Like a wick they go out. ¹⁸Do not remember the former things. Do not keep thinking about ancient things. ¹⁹Watch, I am about to do a new thing. Now it will spring up. Don’t you know about it? Indeed I will make a road in the wilderness. In the wasteland I will make rivers. ²⁰The wild animals, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me, because I am providing water in the wilderness, rivers in a parched wasteland, to provide water for my chosen people to drink. ²¹This people that I formed for myself will declare my praise.

1. What famous event is God talking about when he says he made a way through the sea, drew out the chariots and army, and extinguished them?

2. What “new thing” is God foretelling that will make the people forget what was their favorite story of rescue, the Exodus?

3. People talk about finding purpose for their lives. For what purpose(s) does the LORD say he formed us? (v. 21)

Epistle: Romans 11:11–21  

¹¹So I ask, “Did they stumble in order to fall permanently?” Absolutely not! Rather, by their trespass, salvation came to the Gentiles to make the Israelites jealous. ¹²Now if their trespass meant riches for the world, and their failure meant riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness mean!

¹³I am speaking to you Gentiles. For as long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I am going to speak highly of my ministry. ¹⁴Perhaps I may make my own people jealous, and so save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, what does their acceptance mean other than the dead coming to life?

¹⁶If the part offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you—a wild olive branch—were grafted in among them and share in the rich sap from the root of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not boast that you are better than the branches. If you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, but the root is supporting you. ¹⁹Then you will say: “Branches were broken off so that I am grafted in.” ²⁰That is true—but remember that they were broken off because of unbelief, and you remain in place by faith. Do not be conceited, but stand in awe. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you.

4. Paul's main analogy here is of an olive tree. Jewish people formed the root of the tree. Jewish unbelievers are like branches broken off from the tree. How do Gentile believers, wild olive shoots, become part of tree?

5. Paul warns Gentile believers not to be arrogant. We might expect him to tell us, therefore, to be humble. What does he say, instead? (See 11:20‒21.)

Gospel: Luke 20:9–19  

⁹He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to some tenant farmers, and went away on a journey for a long time. ¹⁰When it was the right time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹The man went ahead and sent yet another servant, but they also beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹²He then sent yet a third. They also wounded him and threw him out. ¹³The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Perhaps they will respect him.’

¹⁴“But when the tenant farmers saw him, they talked it over with one another. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’ ¹⁵They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

When they heard this, they said, “May it never be!”

¹⁷But he looked at them and said, “Then what about this that is written:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?

¹⁸“Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush the one on whom it falls.”

¹⁹That very hour the chief priests and the experts in the law began looking for a way to lay hands on him, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

6. What does this parable teach us about Christ?

7. What does this parable teach us about men?

8. What does this parable teach us about God?

Answers:

1. God is referring to Israel’s miraculous escape through the sea from slavery in Egypt. God’s rescue through Moses was ancient history by Isaiah’s day, yet was the most vivid example to that point in history that the LORD saves!

2. God says he will make a way in the desert, leading his people back from their coming captivity in Babylon. Then God will trump that rescue. He will send the Messiah, who will bring the water of life. Today as we tell people how great a deliverer God is, we tell the story of Jesus delivering from sin, death and the devil. The once-famous Exodus goes to the “back burner.”

3. The LORD formed his chosen people for himself. Our nature rebels at the thought that we do not exist to seek our own goals and interests. Also, we were formed to proclaim the LORD’s praise. Since we have pardon in Christ, our new self gladly adores God and tells others how marvelous he is.

4. Gentile believers become part of the tree by being grafted into it. (Note: Wild olive shoots don't graft themselves into trees.)

5. We learn that our sins do not nullify God’s grace.  “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20).  God gladly receives and forgives every penitent sinner, no matter how many or how terrible our sins.

6. Jesus is the son sent as the last opportunity for the evil tenants. He is the heir and holds a unique place as the son. The other messengers came as servants. Christ identifies himself in this parable as the unique Son of God.

7. God’s chosen people were given a good land, but they mistreated his messengers (prophets) and were about to kill his own Son! God rightfully expects “fruit” from the people he puts in his vineyard, also today!

8. God is patient and merciful, like the owner giving the tenants many chances. But God’s patience can be exhausted; in his wrath, God treats hard-hearted rebels severely.

Putting your faith into action

Christians often think of stewardship as being about what we give. In light of today’s reading, it’s interesting to consider that the word “steward” was originally used in English to describe the overseer of a house. We so often think of ourselves in the role of “owner,” or on our better days, perhaps “servant,” but in this passage, we see ourselves as nothing more than sharecroppers caring for the land of another. And oh, what poor caretakers we often are, so focused on our own plans and purposes, and not on the work that our Lord has called us to do. Our situation would be as hopeless as the tenants in this parable, but the same God who created us and who saved us from our sin also sanctifies us. God has placed us in our positions of stewardship so that we may gratefully perform the works of service he has prepared in advance for us. May he bless our work as we serve together in his name.

A reading from the Book of Concord for Lent 5

Remember the meaning of this commandment: We are to trust in God alone and look to Him and expect from Him nothing but good, as from one who gives us body, life, food, drink, nourishment, health, protection, all necessaries, and peace of both temporal and eternal things. He also preserves us from misfortune.  And if any evil befall us, He delivers and rescues us.  So it is God alone from whom we receive all good and by whom we are delivered from all evil.  So, I think, we Germans from ancient times name God (more elegantly and appropriately than any other language) from the word Good. It is as though He were an eternal fountain that gushes forth abundantly nothing but what is good.  And from that fountain flows forth all that is and is called good.

Even though we experience much good from other people, whatever we receive by God’s arrangement or command is all received from God.  For our parents and all rulers and everyone else, with respect to his neighbor, have received from God the command that they should do us all kinds of good.  So we receive these blessings not from them, but through them, from God.  For creatures are only the hands, channels, and means by which God gives all things.  So He gives to the mother breasts and milk to offer to her child, and He gives corn and all kinds of produce from the earth for nourishment.  None of these blessings could be produced by any creature of itself. – Large Catechism, First Commandment (paragraphs 24-26)

  

110  My Song Is Love Unknown

1  My song is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me,

Love to the loveless shown That they might lovely be.

Oh, who am I That for my sake My Lord should take Frail flesh and die?

2  He came from his blest throne Salvation to bestow,

But such disdain! So few The longed-for Christ would know!

But oh, my friend, My friend indeed, Who at my need His life did spend!

3  Sometimes they strew his way And his sweet praises sing,

Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King.

Then “Crucify!” Is all their breath, And for his death They thirst and cry.

4  Why? What has my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run; He gave the blind their sight.

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these Themselves displease And ’gainst him rise.

5  They rise and needs will have My dear Lord made away.

A murderer they save; The Prince of life they slay.

Yet cheerful he To suff’ring goes That he his foes From death might free.

6  In life no house, no home My Lord on earth might have;

In death no friendly tomb But what a stranger gave.

What may I say? Heav’n was his home But mine the tomb Wherein he lay.

7  Here might I stay and sing; No story so divine,

Never was love, dear King, Never was grief like thine.

This is my friend, In whose sweet praise I all my days Could gladly spend!

Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–83, alt.