PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS

Tag: Works Righteousness

  • Notes and Useful Applications for Matthew 20:1–16 from Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877)

    The following is my translation of the notes and useful applications for the Holy Gospel of Septuagesima, Matthew 20:1–16, as they are found in Das Weimarische Bibelwerk (1877). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions. For the useful applications, I recommend the reader see this very helpful article by Dr. Benjamin T. G. Mayes.

    I. An explanation of the nearest preceding words [from v. 15], “There are many who are first, etc.,” with a parable of the laborers. (v. 1–16)

    Annotated Text

    1. “The 1 kingdom of heaven is like a House-father, who went out (first thing) in the morning to hire laborers into * His vineyard. (In this parable, by the kingdom of heaven is understood the estate of the Church of God, or the kingdom of grace here on earth, not only with regards to the call of God into the Church, but also the transfer of men out of the kingdom of grace into the kingdom of glory and majesty. By the house-father is understood God the Lord, the heavenly House-Father, John 15:1, who immediately from the beginning of the world has called men into vineyard of His Church through the preaching of His Word and continues this calling until the end of the world in such a form that at different times of the world He calls men to His Church and kingdom of grace.)2

    1 Greek: “For…” [γάρ] — One should note here this little word, which provides the occasion [v. 15] and the key to the parable, which most German editions have omitted.

    * Matthew 21:33 (Isaiah 5:1ff.)

    2 † In particular, He calls at all times laborers as stewards (that is, teachers) into His vineyard of the Christian Church, whom He does not allow to labor vainly, but rather He kindly divides His gifts, bodily benefits and provisions, necessary relief, internal consolation, and the like in His order and measure.

    2. And when He came to agreement with the laborers for a groschen[1] (concerning the value of a groschen, see Matthew 18:28) for a day (when He made a promise to those who had been called by Him into the spiritual vineyard that their labor shall not remain unrewarded), He sent them into His vineyard (to carry out their labor in it according to estate and calling of each person).

    [1] A groschen was a silver coin that was often issued as part of a daily wage. The Greek word here is denarius (δηναρίου).

    3. And He went out (by this going out is signified that God, out of the hidden light of His majesty, as it were, has stepped forth and revealed Himself in His Word) around the third hour (when it was already three hours of the day) and He saw others in the market (in this world) standing idly (who had not yet come into the spiritual vineyard of the Church, and therefore, were not rightly serving God),

    4. and He said to them, ‘You go out (as the previous workers who were called before you) into the vineyard; I will give to you what is right (I will thus make it with you that you should have no cause to complain about me, as if I wanted to allow myself to be worked for and served for free).’

    (1 Corinthians 15:58)

    5. And they went out. Once more, He went around the sixth and ninth hour (the sixth hour is the time of midday, the ninth hour is the time of vespers, three hours before the setting of the sun) and did likewise in this manner (He called those whom He saw standing idly in the market, likewise to go into the vineyard in order to work).

    6. But around the eleventh hour (when only one hour was remaining until sunset, John 11:9) He went out and found others (by which the Gentiles can be understood, as those who were called in the last part of the world) standing idly and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idly the entire day?’

    7. They said to Him, ‘No one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go out into the vineyard, and whatever is right, shall become you.’ (cf. v. 4)

    8. Now when it had become evening (),1 the Lord of the vineyard (the heavenly House-Father, who is Lord over all) said to His Steward (to Christ, His Son, whom He has set as Lord over His house, Hebrews 3:6), ‘Call the laborers and give to them the wage and begin with the last, until the first (thus, that you give to each a groschen, to the last as well as to the first).’

    1 † Others understand by the evening not precisely the end of the world, but rather the time of the promised reward of grace in general; since some, especially the reward-seeking Jews, according to the nature of their special covenant shall receive only a temporal reward, but others, [namely,] the right-believing in Christ from the Jews and Gentiles shall receive the eternal reward of grace by faith, according to God’s promise, certainly, but none from merit.

    9. When they came who were hired around the eleventh hour, they each received a groschen.

    10. But when the first came, they thought they would receive more (because they had labored longer in the vineyard); and each of them also received his groschen. (By those who were hired around the eleventh hour are understood those who at the preceding calling willingly entered into the vineyard of the Christian Church, labored faithfully therein, and in their labor did not look to the reward, but rather to the goodness of the heavenly House-Father and to His promise. In particular, this refers to believing Gentiles, who do not rely upon their own righteousness and upon the merit of their works, but only upon the grace of God in Christ. By the first are understood those men who indeed followed the call, came into the fellowship of the Church of God, and labored therein; but only sought the reward, and therefore relied upon the merit of their works and in their hearts exalted themselves over the laborers of grace. In particular, this pertains to the Jews who were called to the Kingdom of God first, that is, before the Gentiles; but they sought to establish their own righteousness, Romans 10:3, and placed the trust of their hearts in the merit of their works. These receive their groschen, that is, the promised reward, which they have already received in this life in the manifold temporal blessings, Matthew 6:2; but they neither have any share in the eternal reward, nor anything for which to hope.)

    11. And when they received it, they murmured (from impatience and seeking a better reward) against the House-Father (who, in their opinion, maintained no equity).

    (Luke 15:28ff.)

    12. And they said, ‘These last have only labored for an hour, and you have made them equal to us who have born the burden and heat of the day (having labored throughout the entire day with great hardship).’

    13. But He answered and said to one among them (namely, one who elevated himself before others), ‘My friend, I have done you no injustice. Did you not agree with Me for a groschen?

    14. Take what is yours and go away. But I will give to these last just as I gave to you. (This must not be understood as if even the murmuring work-saints, who build and presume upon their own merit, will obtain eternal life, since by the groschen is not to be understood precisely eternal life, but rather, in general every kind of reward, whether it be here temporally in this, or there eternally in that life; and thus indeed these murmuring work-saints also receive their reward, namely, temporal blessing, but not the eternal reward in heaven.)

    15. * Or do I not have the right to do what I want with that which is Mine? (Should it be forbidden to Me to deal with that which is My own, and which no one can earn from me, according to My gracious will?) Do you therefore see askew (are you therefore so resentful and envious), that I am so kind (free-giving)?’

    * Romans 9:21

    16. Thus (all servants of God, especially Church ministers, should not to look for temporal gain, honor, and the like in their work, much less should they envy others; but rather, in faithful and  honest purpose toward God’s promise, they ought to persevere in their duty and call with true godliness, so that they do not deprive themselves of God’s grace and eternal blessing with pride, envy, and murmuring. For) the * last (the laborers of grace, who rely only on God’s grace and do not insist upon their merit) will be the first (will be preferred to the first), and the first (those who are murmuring work-righteous men) will be the last (that is, will be rejected). For many (that is, all, all men) are called (through the Word to the Church of God); but few (reckoned contrary to the great heap of the damned) are chosen (by God to eternal life because they seek righteousness and eternal life not only and solely in the grace of God and in Christ, but rather in the merit of their own works and exalt themselves over others).”

    * Matthew 19:30, 22:14 (Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30)

    Useful Applications

    I. CORRECTION: That we, by impatience and grumbling, shall not overcome [or become master of] God in His governance and in the rewarding of good, but rather ought to leave everything to His holy will and allow ourselves to be content with that which He bestows upon us with thanksgiving. (v. 11–15)

  • Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Third Sunday After Trinity

    Chemnitz’s Homily Outline for the Third Sunday After Trinity

    The following is my translation of Martin Chemnitz’s homily outline for the Third Sunday after Trinity as found in his Postilla (Vol. II, pgs. 306–307). Square brackets indicate my own notes and additions.

    Sermon Outline

    Concerning those things we now want to handle in this sermon and what is thereby to be noted, it is divided into these four points:

    1. First, we want from these three parables that we are reminded that the Lord begins the parables because He wants to indicate how it is with us by nature, that when we have lost something that has been dear to us, how we then have an even greater longing that we might recover it, and we are more concerned about the lost thing than we are mindful of that which nevertheless we still have and possess in our custody (Verwahrung). And He says that in this way God is inclined toward us, that when someone from among men is misled so that he comes into an erring path (Irrweg) and goes astray, God is not turned away, how God is then concerned for us that He might find us again and get us back again, how He diligently seeks us, and how He directs all care and effort therein do that he might restore us again, and that He does this from such a heart we when one is very distressed over a thing which he has lost and applies all diligence in order that he might get us back again. Such is the Fatherly heart of Christ toward us (vätterliches Hertz Christi gege uns), which we first ought to learn, know, and consider in this parable.
    2. Second, thereafter we want to learn form this how we then ought to conduct ourselves to this, so that God’s care and effort might not be futile and in vain, that we [ought to] allow ourselves to be found by Him when He seeks us and that He can restore us again. And that we [ought] not run away from Him when He seeks us, but rather act like a strayed sheep, when it perceives that the Shepherd is after it and is seeking it, wanting to bring it back to the flock, it then stands still, and allows itself to be grasped and to be restored again, not running further into the wilderness, but rather turns back, and allows itself to be brought again to its place. And just as a coin is found again when one sweeps the house, lights a lamp, and looks with diligence for it, that we also thus [ought to] allow ourselves to be found and be sought out from the filth and foulness of our sins; and when God sets the light of His Law before us and shines it under our eyes and takes the broom in the hand  that he might thereby again sweep us out from the dirt and the filth, that we then through such means—the preaching of the Law (Gesetzpredigt) and the blessed cross—[ought to] allow ourselves to be helped out from the filth again; and when we have been willful and brazen before our heavenly Father and have abused His longsuffering (Langmut), and He has therefore placed us in poverty, grief, and misery, that we [ought to] come to our senses in the midst of the cross, and in true repentance turn again to God and be received into grace by Him and be accepted again.
    3. Third, that we especially take this into consideration, how the parables proceed to this: with which heart God seeks us, how great a joy it is to Him when we allow ourselves to be found, how kindly He receives the repentant sinner, and therein has the greatest joy and delight when we rightly conduct ourselves in this matter so that He does not deal with us according to His fury and wrath, but can be gracious and merciful to us and show us His fatherly love.
    4. Fourth and finally, how every Christian, both preacher and hearer, ought to learn from this how we also ought to strive after the example of the heavenly Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ, our faithful Shepherd, so that we also be so disposed toward repentant sinners and have such a heart toward them as here we hear God has toward such. This especially applies to those whom God has preserved from serious falls and offenses more than others, as is here seen in the older brother, who exalted himself on account of his piety so that he was unwilling to allow his younger brother to be received into grace even when his brother had nevertheless repented. For this reason, he was rebuked and admonished by the father. And how he makes too much of this that he says, “I have never transgressed your command, and have done everything as was appropriate” [Luke 15:29], how each ought to guard himself from such speech and thoughts.

    To these four points we want to briefly direct [our attention] as to what is chiefly to be considered in this Gospel in the three parables presented to us. God grant us His grace and blessing to this end.