"God's Grace Is Never Fair!" Matthew 20:1-16

Septuagesima                                                             1-February-2026
Sermon Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Sermon Theme: “God’s Grace Is Never Fair!” I. He Finds And Calls Us! (Vs.1-4). II. He Actively Seeks Us To The Last Hour! (Vs.5-7) III. He Graciously Gives All His Riches Away! (Vs.8-12). IV. Rejoice He Is Good In All His Ways! (Vs.13-14) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. This Friday the games begin. Winter athletes from around the world with gather at Milan and Cortina, Italy. They have tirelessly trained for years to earn a spot on their nation’s Olympic team. They will race, skate, ski, snowboard, climb and sled for the gold. In the 116 events athletes compete, they dream of winning the top prize.
     St. Paul’s congregation at Corinth, Greece knew athletic competition, races, and striving to win the prize. As crazy as Americans are for being entertained by sports, the Corinthians were more so. Athletes and their families were willing to make great sacrifices training to win. Just as today, people spared no expense to travel, to train, to discipline their bodies, to deny themselves - that they might win the first prize - the crown of laurel leaves.
     Today we step into the pre-lenten season. Septuagesmia is a Latin sign post telling us that we are about seventy days away from Easter. Now is the time to train, to discipline our bodies keeping them under control - so that we don’t stumble in the race of the Faith. We don’t want to tell others of Jesus, and then ourselves become disqualified.  
     The congregation of Israel was called to freedom through the blood of the Passover Lamb. They were under God’s abiding presence. They were baptized into a new life. They ate of the same spiritual food - Bread from Heaven, renewing life giving water flowing from the Rock that Shepherded them - Christ. Out of the 600,000 men that began the race towards the promised land - only two were allowed to cross over the Jordan to dwell there forty years later. The rest refused to enter their rest - their bodies were buried in the wilderness. Many were called to new life, but few trusted Jesus to the very end of the race.
     Today repent! Tomorrow repent! Live your baptism! Remember that the water of your baptism means your death - and your resurrection. Learn to confess: What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. Where is this written? St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).  
     Repenting turn from yourself and cling to the prize given to us sinners by grace. Trace the sign of the holy cross upon your forehead and heart - speak God’s Gospel Promise out loud, “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Amen!” This is most certainly true. I am His - His grace in Jesus alone saves a poor miserable sinner such as I! Learn to rejoice in His Name! “God’s Grace Is Never Fair!” I. He Finds And Calls Us! (Vs.1-4). II. He Actively Seeks Us To The Last Hour! (Vs.5-7) III. He Graciously Gives All His Riches Away! (Vs.8-12). IV. Rejoice He Is Good In All His Ways! (Vs.13-14)
I. The winter Olympics begin Friday. Next Sunday many will forego the Divine Service to watch the Super Bowl and the day of pre-game shows. The lowest priced ticket for next Sunday’s game is $4,640. The stadium will be packed with fans wanting to watch their team compete to win the prize.
    If there was no prize. There would be no competition. That is the way of the world. Pridefully we want bragging rights. From our fallen father Adam we want to be number one. That was the lie whispered to our fallen mother in the Garden by the fallen angel the devil. It is a lie that chains us spiritually. Following our fallen thinking, feeling, doing, and desires we think we earn a spot in God’s Kingdom. Repent!
    You don’t find God. By your own reason and strength you could never believe in Jesus Christ your Lord or come to Him. Listen! (Vs1). The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t your doing. He is the Landowner. The earth and everything is it belongs to Him alone! He goes out early in the morning seeking to bring you back into His vineyard - His garden.
     Day laborers had no hope in themselves. Unless someone hired them they and their families would starve. Their only hope was to be blessed with daily bread through being called to work. These laborers don’t come applying for a job - the Landowner seeks them. You aren’t here because of your decision - you are here -because the Landowner sought you out in baptismal grace calling you to labor in the vineyard of His Church.
     The first group refuse to work, unless they are promised a decent wage. (Vs.2) A denarius was a day’s wage for working. Promising to give them their daily bread it is the Landowner who sends them into His vineyard. Perhaps we need to pause and realize - work isn’t a curse. Study Genesis 2 - the Lord God created mankind to work. He set apart a beautiful garden - filled with fruit bearing plants for them to tend and keep. He built a Church in the middle - the Tree of Life for them to commune with their Creator speaking with Him face to face. He blessed them with marriage to joyfully serve one another and raise their family to trust their Creator. All they had was His gracious gift. Only after walking away from their Creator to trust in their own work, ways, and Satan’s promise of god like power by disobedience - did the blessing of work now become a labor of thistles, thorns, and dust. The blessing of childbearing become painful and sorrowful. Sin corrupted all.
        Still work is a blessing from the Lord God by which He supplies us with our daily bread. It is blessing by which our Creator uses our hands, skills, and talents to care for His vineyard - to follow Him in freely giving as in Him we have freely received.
       Behold our Triune God’s persistence. (Vs3-4) He leaves the security of His vineyard seeking to bless more by calling them to life in His vineyard. His simply promises to give them “whatever is right” “whatever is just.” Hearing His promise - they joyfully go to work.
II. You’d assume that the gracious Landowner would sit down rest and relax after 9a.m.. The head of the day is approaching - why leave the shade of the vineyard to seek more to partake of His bountiful garden?
     “The Kingdom of God”, we confess, “certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.” Behold the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven! (Vs.5) In the heat of the day it is God who humbles Himself to seek you. He seeks, promises, calls, invites you at noon - at 3p.m.. He cannot rest - while you starve in the marketplace of this world. Wal-Mart, Amazon, Temu, Ebay - offer you a lot of stuff to buy - but no lasting peace and security. Even those who run after silver and gold to secure their future - have no peace in a world of darkness. None of all the world’s treasures can slake our spiritual thirst. Lord God let Your Kingdom come among us also! “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”
     Behold the persistence of Grace! (Vs.6-7) The day when man can work is drawing to its end. The foolish Landowner returns to the market begging those who before refused His invitation to come - work in His vineyard! It was the 11th hour for a dying thief nailed to a cross. He was getting the just reward for His deeds. Sin’s wages are only death. The crucified Man between him and his fellow suffering thief is relentlessly being mocked. They mock Him as being the King of the Jews. They cry for Him to come down from the heat of the day - then they will believe. Instead of cursing them - He blesses them praying, “Father, forgive!” The dying thief looks to Jesus, confesses his sin and its just punishment, then prays, “Lord, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” What does Jesus say, “Too late?’ - Never - Grace chases us to our final breath....Luk 23: (43) And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Today, you will be with Me in My Garden - in My Vineyard!
III. Like the children of Israel we complain against the Lord God! Why have you brought us into this wilderness to die of thirst? You are only trying to kill us and our children in this congregation!
      Behold our gracious God! (Vs.8-9) He gives away all His riches. Those who worked the last hour receive fully of His grace. Imagine if everyone receives a gold medal at the Olympics beginning with the last to cross the finish line. Or if next Sunday beginning with the worst football team in the NFL - everyone receives a Super Bowl ring. We’d cry out - it’s not fair! They don’t deserve it! Or think if your Dad sent you out last Sunday to shovel snow and you negotiated for $10, then you siblings slowly come out to help sent by Dad. Then finishing up - your Dad has the audacity to pay everyone $10. You’d scream, “It’s not fair!” You can’t do that! How can you make my siblings equal to me - my fingers and toes are nearly frozen - they are barely chilled.
      You are called into our Creator’s Vineyard - His Church. He blesses you to be His hands, His voice, His eyes - to harvest and gather that which you did not plant or sow. Rejoice to speak His Word to your friends, family, strangers, and your enemies. Invite them now to come into God’s vineyard - to feast on His bounty - to receive His eternal life sustaining fruit - to be ingrafted into the true Vine - Jesus Christ!
IV. Beware of your old Adam - the old sinful corrupt self that lurks within your heart. Our sinful pride turns family, work, church, and community into a competition. We want to win - to earn more - to receive the most recognition. Turn away from your sinful pride. Look only to your Crucified and Risen King!
     Listen! (Vs.13-15) Rejoice for God is good in all His ways! His ways are not your ways. He gives us what we haven’t deserved or earned. He takes our place under our sin. He alone endures our just punishment on the cross. He finishes our payment once for all. He swallows up our wages of death. He rests in our grave. He rises to give you His Life eternal - all His gracious gift - for He is good! Stop comparing - rejoice in His grace to serve. Follow Him!
       Behold the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven - (vs.16) God from eternity has elected and called you in Christ Jesus into His Kingdom. His call was never about your ability, skills, experiences, or thoughts. It is His call of grace. How do you know He has called you? He placed His Name upon you in baptismal water sealing it with Jesus’ cross and resurrection.
       Run the race of the Faith! Know that all trials, failures, and joys are His gifts to keep you in His Word and Faith by His grace alone in Christ Jesus alone by the Holy Spirit working through the Gospel alone - until you breathe you last and fall asleep in death.
        Friday the race was won - for you! Jesus shouldered all your sin and suffered the heat of hell and God’s just wrath for you! He cries out, ‘It is finished!” Your price paid - the gate of the vineyard - of paradise is open only in His crucified and risen flesh!
         Now come! Feast on His victory - FOR YOU! It is His living flesh and blood - given and shed for you - to give you His full gift - forgiveness of all your sins! Life eternal in Him! Salvation won for you - delivered to you in the rosy red font of your baptism. Rejoice! God’s grace is never fair - it is saving! Amen.