God gives away his kingdom. Indeed, he has given it to you. Most certainly that seems to us to be utterly foolish. We probably would have grumbled just like the first group of laborers. Why would God simply give something away for nothing? Surely hard work is to be rewarded. But that is the point of the story. The kingdom of God is NOT like the kingdom of men. You don’t earn it. It is bestowed upon you purely out of the master’s generosity. But His kingdom is not depleted because it is given away. It only grows. Christ having done all the work on the cross now comes to distribute to you in Word and Sacrament the benefit of His work – life and salvation. I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow as together we poor sinners receive the free gifts of God in Chris’s holy Word and the blessed Sacrament.
Pastor
