10/8 Sermon - Patience Is The Gospel

Patience is the Gospel

Matthew 21:33-44 

- Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. Instant gratification is bad. We all understand this. Patiently… saving money every paycheck, exercising some every week, waiting for the promotion, giving time to a hobby. Patience is a virtue!

- Can someone be too patient? Can it be harmful to be patient? Is it a bad idea to be patient? What if someone takes advantage of us? I could think of a few scenarios where this may be true.

- In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us a story of patience, almost reckless patience…

- The parable of the tenants in the vineyard. 

- The master took great care in making the vineyard.

- The tenants wanted ownership not stewardship.

- A cycle of rejection followed.

- The master showed great patience with the wicked tenants.

- The point: he sent his only, beloved Son (Mark 12).

- This parable was spoken to the leaders of Jesus’ day, the “tenants” of God’s vineyard, his people.

- They knew all the miracles Jesus had done for 3 years, that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

- They refused to listen to Jesus, and to God. In a few days, they would kill God’s own Son, just like Israel killed God’s prophets.

- Why? They looked around at their comfy jobs, their positions of leadership, their honor, and they said, “This vineyard is ours. We won’t submit to God. We have no room for God in our hearts.”

- Jesus had patience with them! In our reading, he pleads with them to repent. That’s why Jesus talked with them so much during his 3-year ministry. Jesus had patience. But they spat on his patience.

- We live in a beautiful vineyard prepared by God. Look around at your life. Blessings are everywhere, joy overflows. But we can act like those wicked tenants.

- We don’t want to be stewards of our vineyards. We want ownership. We can start to say to ourselves: It’s my time, my money, my possessions.

- We don’t appreciate and thank God for our vineyards. We feel entitled. If life doesn’t go my way, if problems come, we shake our fist at God, as if we deserved something.

- We can look to God as a life coach, not as our king. We’ll obey these commands, but not those. We’ll listen to him now, but not later. We’ll give time to God if it fits into our schedule.

- There is heavy law in this gospel; God’s patience has an end.

- Not in the way we think. God’s patience doesn’t end when we fall into sin. God is patient beyond understanding. He forgives us time and again, even if we are angry at him or question him,

- God’s patience ends when we stop repenting of our sins, when we shake out fist at God like the tenants or the Jewish leaders, when we say, “God, I don’t need you in my life.” God says, “Ok, I don’t need you either.”  

- We don’t reject God! But this is a warning to us. To a degree, we each sin like the Jewish leaders.

- What did that master do in our parable? Finally, he sent his own son. WAIT A SECOND! That makes no sense in this story. We’d expect a SWAT team to bust down the doors, not a helpless son. What kind of father sends his son into something like this? 

- In many of Jesus’ parables, there’s usually one wild, illogical detail. That detail is usually the point of emphasis in the parable. Yes, a typical owner would never send his son to bloodthirsty thugs. That’s the point! This parable is not really about tenants and a landlord.

- If we step outside the parable, it’s about a God who has patience, a loving Father who wants to save his straying children. It’s about God and his loving patience on the pharisees and leaders of the people who keep rejecting Jesus, and ultimately God’s patience with us. 

- Patience is the gospel. Patience gives us a different angle on the gospel. Patience helps summarize the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

- Mark 12 adds a detail. The master said, „I will send to them my son, whom I love.” God sends us Jesus, his only, beloved Son.

- God is infinitely patient with us and the whole world. He doesn’t destroy us or send us to hell. He doesn’t give us what our sins deserve.

- Instead, God sent his son, his only beloved Son, to save the world, to die for the sins of the world, that all who believe in him will not die but have eternal life.

- In a very real sense, each one of us helped to crucify Jesus because it was our sins that he died for on the cross, our sin that led him to the cross. But Jesus took our sin on the cross. Jesus died the death that we deserved.  Through Jesus, we have complete forgiveness and life.

- God, in his patience, sends us the gospel, day after day, week after week, to hear, learn, repent, and trust. Thank goodness for God’s patience in his Son, Jesus Christ. 

- This patience is beyond our understanding. That’s why it’s called “reckless” patience. It makes no sense! Maybe insane works, too?

- What one person calls insane, another calls “commitment.” I might get called insane for waking up early to read God’s Word and workout, but I call it commitment. The way God acts we call insane or reckless, but he does everything, even allowing his Son to die, because he’s committed to saving us. He’s patient with us. Patience is the gospel.

- Do you want patience? Most people do! We can’t just snap our fingers and become patient.

- We must understand the obstacle to our patience: our own human rebellion. What makes us impatient? When things aren’t going our way. When life does not play out as I want it to. When I can’t control life. Then we lash out in anger, frustration, irritation, or worry.

- Impatience is a symptom of a deeper spiritual issue: We want control. We don’t trust in the cornerstone of Jesus Christ.

- Do you want patience? “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone. The Lord has done this, and it is glorious in our eyes.” We find our patience by marveling, praising, trusting in our cornerstone, Jesus, in the patience of God.  

- 1) Do you want more patience? Live in thankfulness to God. He has given each one of us a beautiful vineyard to live in. The time, health, home, family that we have are gifts of God, we don’t own anything! We’re not entitled to anything. It’s not ours! We are stewards of everything God has given us. When we live with appreciation and thankfulness every day, it’s easier to be patient.

- 2) Do you want more patience? Live in patient with God. God promises to be with us, to work all things for our good, to bring us home to heaven. We don’t understand God’s plan, and we might not even see what good God does while we live in this world. But trust that God works in all circumstances, good and bad, for your eternal good. When we live in patience with God, it’s easier to be patient.
-3) Do you want patience? Follow God’s example with others. Again and again, the landowner sent servants to those wicked tenants, Again and again, God forgives our sins, and even sent his own son to die for our sins. Again and again, we can be patient with everyone in our lives, including ourselves, by focusing on Jesus. Ask yourself this simple question: “Does this really matter?” The day is not going well. Health isn’t great. My neighbor is annoying. Does this really matter? We have eternal life through Jesus our Savior. Does anything else matter? Example in my life: my phone did not go well. Does this really matter? No, because I have Jesus. A Christian can say that even if they face death itself. Do you want patience? Ask yourself, whenever we are tempted to worry, be frustrated, or be impatient, “Does this really matter?” No, because I have Jesus!

- Patience is a virtue. This is self-evident in life. Everyone wants more patience.

- Patience is also the gospel. God shows patience to us. He overlooks our sin and rebellion. He sent his own Son to die for us and give us life. Everyday, he forgives our sin

- We find patience when we marvel at, praise, and worship our God, his patience, and our cornerstone Jesus Christ.