Septuagesima Sunday (1879)

Matthew 20:1-16 The doctrine of the grace of God is most abominably distorted in the kingdom of the antichrist. The same happens more or less in the various bunch of sects. On the other hand, our church confesses this doctrine in apostolic purity, and as high pardoned members of this church, we have to bear witness continually: In the kingdom of God there is nothing but grace! But unfortunately not all those who externally adhere to our church give all honor to the grace of God in truth. There are also arrogant self-righteous ones who rejoice in their own righteousness, who because of that beat and work for wages. We have to bear witness continually to these: It is hopeless with your works, it deserves only vain anger; because in the kingdom of God there is nothing but grace! And we, who live only by grace, are we not often challenged by thoughts of pride, of seeking reward? Oh, alas. Therefore we cannot often enough hold before our own hearts: In the kingdom of God there is nothing but grace! Our Gospel is part of the answer that Christ gave to dear Peter when he asked on the occasion of the departure of the rich young ruler, challenged by thoughts of arrogance and seeking wages: "See, we have, etc." Even though the Lord now promises a great reward to Peter and his fellow apostles, at the same time He yet reminds them in the parable of our text the fact that everything in the kingdom of God is grace. The Truth: In the kingdom of God there is nothing but grace. Let us see, 1. How certain this is; it is certain because a. It is grace that we are called into the vineyard. . we are by nature outside of the vineyard and stand idle in the market of this world and want and can do nothing to be taken into the vineyard.1 . the heavenly householder proceeds according to his gratuitous mercy to look for us and include us in His Vineyard; b. It is grace that we work in the vineyard. . that we are honored to work, God has no need of us, . that we can work; only through gracious acceptance into the vineyard are we able to work and to do good works pleasing to God2; c. It is grace that we receive wages, . God does not owe us a wage, but He has graciously offered to provide it, besides salvation which apprehends faith, even to give a wage for work3,
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Psalm 14:2-3. 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Philippians 2:13. 3 Matthew 20:4 ("I will...").

. God distributes the promised wage according to His free graciousness and does not want to be dictated to4; 2. what follows from it: a. for the arrogant, self-righteous and wage seekers: they have cause to be frightened; because . according to justice and righteousness to which they insist, although they receive their wage in this world5, but are . rejected and have no part in the Kingdom of God, . neither here, because in it there is nothing but grace, . nor there, because there only grace is praised, b. for those who recognize their misery and deem themselves unworthy: they have cause to rejoice. G.

4 5

Matthew 20:14f. Matthew 6:2; Galatians 4:30; Genesis 25:6, 21:10.