Lutheran Church of the Resurrection

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An author by the name of Bel Kaufman wrote a book in 1964 titled, “Up The Down Staircase.” It’s a teacher’s story of what its like to teach in a large, metropolitan high school. The principal character in the story is named Sylvia Barrett who repeatedly makes the mistake of going up the staircase intended only for down traffic.

Trying to go up a staircase that is only intended for downward traffic is a mistake that is made by many, maybe not in high schools, but most definitely in our quest for righteousness before God. (more…)

“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Is it divine providence that this text should be assigned to us right at the height of a political season when there is so much talk about taxes? It’s hard to say for sure. But it does give us the opportunity to talk a bit about the proper relationship between our obedience and service to the civil government and our obedience and service to God.

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Let’s just begin by stating the obvious. Jesus does not say we shouldn’t pay taxes. The government provides certain services to its citizens and its citizens are obligated to pay for those services.

And notice also that Jesus uses the name “Caesar” as a shorthand way of talking about the civil government. The “Caesars” were pagans. In no way do they subscribe to the “Judeo-Christian” scheme of things. Yet Jesus says, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Even pagan governments and rulers are God’s servants. They may not realize it or recognize it, but God still uses them as His servants to carry out His purposes. And we may not disobey them just because they’re not Christian. (more…)

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Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven maybe compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited…” The parable that Jesus weaves concerns the way those who are invited to the wedding feast response to His invitation. It is a parable full of surprises, three in particular that we’ll highlight this morning.

I. The 1st Surprise - We Are Invited As with every parable that Jesus tells, we do well to hear it as though it were directed to ourselves first and foremost. Even though it has its proper historical situation and audience, every parable, just like every word that comes from the mouth of God is meant for our ears to hear. “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear,” means, this Word is for you.

The Word from Jesus lips that must reach deeply into your ears then, is that the King has prepared a wedding feast for His Son and He has sent His servants out to call you to come. And that is the first surprise of this parable that we dare not miss.

The King wants you and me to come a banquet that He has prepared. He has sent His servants with an invitation to you, personally and individually, inviting you to come. One of those servants that He sent out was the prophet Isaiah. Along with the invitation, Isaiah gives a brief summary of the menu. This is a “feast of rich food, and of well aged wine…” Talk about health food. If you come to this banquet all teary eyed or mournful because of your sins, this food “will wipe away the tears from all faces.” As you swallow up this food, it “swallows up death forever.” (more…)

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Preaching on parables about vineyards and vineyard management is much easier done from California or up state New York than from central Maine. California preachers will have loads of analogies and illustrations to use in their sermon this morning. And their congregations will understand them and their connection to the meaning of this parable. But we live in central Maine where vineyards are as scarce as snow blowers in San Jose. And unfortunately for you, you have a pastor who knows nothing about vineyards except that it’s where grapes come from and where wine is made and I like the red stuff better than the white stuff. So, just like with all of those parables about sheep and shepherding you don’t get any of those clever little illustrations about animal husbandry, so this morning, unfortunately, you’re not going to get any illustrations about the agricultural management techniques of a vineyard.

So with that disclaimer on the table and those terrible limitations that we are burdened with, let’s see if we’re still able to hear what our Lord would have us all hear and learn through this parable about the owner of a vineyard and his workers. (more…)