St. Matthew 22:1-14 – Trinity 20 – 2016

St. Matthew 22:1-14 – Trinity 20 – 2016
Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, McHenry, IL
October 8-9, 2016

In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

You are the chosen. You are the baptized. Those called by water and God’s Name. You are those invited to His table to eat and drink with God.

Freely given — as a gift — the way salvation was always supposed to be. Niether earned nor deserved, but given in Jesus Christ.

Like Isaiah says, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

No money, no ability, no clothes on our own — not by works, not by not sinning, not by sinning, or doing or not doing — but by hearing.

“Incline your ear, and come to me,” says the Lord, “hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

His covenant, His promise, His deal — made with David but given to you as a gift in the suffering and death of Jesus.

Receiving what God did for you in Christ — His invite, His water, His word. That’s what faith is! Believing is hearing His Word, it’s receiving His Word.

As a gift. Freely given. Undeserved. Eternal life is completely undeserved. Completely!

You don’t feel like the chosen, do you? You don’t think that of yourself. You sometimes don’t believe it. You look at yourself and you think, “Not enough.”

Well, that’s because you are completely unworthy of God’s love! You and I are the also-rans, the scrubs, the replacement players, the last-to-be-picked-to-play-kickball-on-the-playground Gentiles, who receive the invite because the people that God originally invited made themselves unworthy.

“God’s people paid no attention and went off,” says the Lord in the parable, “One to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.”

Now, you know there’s no difference between us and them. The only thing that makes you and me worthy is His call — His baptism, His Word, His Body and Blood. His gifts deliver His Son — His Son is the worthiness.

Reject His gifts — you could do something stupid like that. You can do your own thing. You can live for yourself, do what you want to do and see how that works. Like a stubborn child who refuses help because they can do it themselves when you know they can’t — you can try to earn your salvation on your own.

That’s the bit of the parable where the king calls the person out for not wearing His wedding garment. Go about things on your own, live for yourself, think yourself worthy on your own, the King will come to you and ask you to leave — no, he throws you out — because you aren’t clothed with Jesus.

But, dear Saints of God, take note of this! This parable was given for your comfort. No one all by themselves is worthy of eternal life but Jesus. The Jews weren’t worthy. You aren’t worthy. I’m not worthy.

If ever you look up to heaven and wonder “How could God love me because of the stuff I’ve done?” The answer is He doesn’t love or not love you because of the stuff you’ve done. His love for you doesn’t depend upon you at all.

He loves you because of His invite, His call — put on you in the water and the word! The wedding garment that makes you worthy is baptized upon you. You are clothed with Christ.

Apart from Christ, you are lost, unworthy, and everything you feel about yourself is true. God can’t love you. In fact, He will only punish you.

But, you aren’t apart from Christ. You are of Christ and Christ is of God. You are clothed with Jesus. You are washed in His death and resurrection. You are chosen. You are baptized.

So, the question of are you worthy of eternal life is easy. Is Jesus worthy? Did He live His life for me? Did He die the death that I deserve? Did He rise again from the dead? Does He live for me?

Is my Baptism worthy? Is the Body and Blood of Jesus worthy? Is the Word of God, the word of forgiveness, worthy?

And this is the good news. His gifts deliver the very worthiness that God requires. His gifts give Jesus.

Faith, which is born of the gifts, receives from God the righteousness of Christ and even unworthy Johnny-come-lately Gentile sinners like you and me are saved.

“Faith is the very righteousness by which we — even you and me — are accounted righteous before God.” (Apology V).

So… again… you are the worthy, you are the invited, you are those who are invited to His table. You are the baptized. You are the forgiven.

This is true of you when things are great and you feel on top of the world.

This is especially true of you when you feel like you were the last one picked, that you feel you can’t do anything right, or that no one would care if you just disappeared.

Who you are, what you are, is a matter of Whose you are. You are baptized. You are a child of God. You are forgiven. That’s not up to you, doesn’t depend upon you, or rest on you. It all rests on Jesus.

For many have been called, but you have been chosen. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.