Dear Christian friends:

We can rent many and various things: a house, an apartment, a car , a boat, tools, etc. When we rent something and use it we must pay the rent money to the landlord or the owner. If we fail to pay the rent, we can get much trouble.

In the text we have Jesus' parable about the men who rented a vineyard, but then refused to pay the rent money. What does Jesus mean to teach us with this parable? Let us attend to this parable about


Who are these wicked renters?

Jesus told this parable to the Jewish church leaders. Jesus meant them and most of the Jewish nation since the time of Abraham until that day, about 33 A.D.

God had chosen Abraham and his descendants to be His special nation. God gave the Jews a homeland in Palestine and made them become a great nation. God blessed the Jews more than He blessed any other nation. God sent many prophets to preach to them and tell them about their sin and wrongs and then to tell them to repent and believe in the Savior, the Christ. He was sent to win forgiveness for them. But often the Jews refused to believe the prophets, God's servants. The Jews persecuted the prophets and killed some of them. But God was very patient with them and continued to send more prophets to them to warn them to be sorry and believe and change their ways. God was kind and patient with the Jews for 1500 years. But the Jews did not love and serve God. They refused to "pay the rent money to God."

Finally, God decided to send His own Son to preach to them. God said to Himself, "They will respect My Son." So, God's Son became a Baby by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary that first Christmas. They named the Baby Jesus, as the Angel announced, because He would save His people from their sins. When Jesus grew up, He preached to the Jews. Did they listen to Jesus? A few did, but most of them hated Him and told lies about Him and then condemned Him to die. They forced Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. Although they did not realize it, they were God's tools to fulfill His plan which was to offer up His own Son as the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. God's love and God's ways are truly amazing!

Therefore, we see that the renters who refused to pay the rent were the Jews. They were the first who refused to pay the rent to God. Who else? How about us today? We are God's people today through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. God has shown much love and mercy to us through Jesus our dear Savior. Are we paying God His "rent money?" Are we any better than the Jews?

When the Jews refused to accept Jesus for their Savior, God took the Gospel from them and gave the Gospel to the non-Jews (the Gentiles). (verse 43) Now we Gentiles have had God's Word 1987 years! We have the Gospel preaching, the Cross preaching, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper! God has given us so much love and mercy in His Son, Jesus. And He has also given us His Holy Spirit so that we can believe and rejoice in Jesus, responding to His love. God expects us to love Him now and willingly serve Him, because He first loved us and has blessed us so much. God expects us to pay the rent money, the same as He expected that from the Jews.

Are we paying God what we owe Him? Do we love God's mission to the world? Are we interested in world mission work? Are we giving support to the Gospel preaching here at Pilgrim, in our District and through the Synod to the world? Do we love God's people, one another and other Christians in other churches? Do we love God's messengers, our pastors? Do we listen to our pastor and encourage one another to listen to the pastor?

Four weeks ago I sent to you a letter with our church's "Statement of Mission and Ministry." Three weeks ago I sent you a second letter explaining about the Lord's work through our Southern California District and through Synod. Two weeks ago I sent you a third letter asking you to respond to God's love by writing a Covenant for ]988. How many brought their Covenant Cards back here last Sunday? Only ]2 members! Where are the other 144 Covenant Cards? It seems to me that many of our members are refusing to pay the rent. We are not better than the Jews.

When the Jews refused to repent and believe in Jesus, God forsook them and sent Paul to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Finally God's patience with them was ended.

God is still patient with us Gentiles and He continues to give us time to wake up and be sorry, confessing our sins and believing in Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins. I hope and pray that we will not be hard-hearted and stubborn like the Jews, but be sorry and ask God to forgive our sins in Jesus' name. And then promise to love Him and serve Him willingly. If we do not repent and change our ways, God may forsake us also, take away His Word and the Sacraments from us and give it to others who will listen and pay the rent.

Those, who like the Jews, ignore God's love and mercy are wicked renters and will be punished. Those who believe His Word and repent have pleasure working and serving in God's Vineyard, bringing Him His fruits which they owe and which He expects.

Amen.