October 4, 2020 – LWML Sunday Text: Matthew 21:43
Dear Friends in Christ,
Many states are known for the fruit that they produce. If I say peach – you think of Georgia. You would put Washington with apples. A mention of Florida would bring to mind oranges. Cranberries would conjure up the bogs of Massachusetts. A little closer to home we can even make it a city not a state, especially at this time of year. I say pumpkin and almost all of us know that a majority of them in the United States are processed in Morton. By the way I did my research and pumpkin is a fruit not a vegetable, even though it is related to the squash. See you are going to leave here even smarter than when you came in.
The point is that each state is known for the fruit that its people produce.
Just as states are known by the fruit each produces; the kingdom of God is recognized by the fruit its people produce. This fruit is not found on a branch or a vine. It is found in our actions through our faith. It is Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Sunday and a good time to see how . . .
“KINGDOM PEOPLE PRODUCE KINGDOM FRUIT”
We are the kingdom people. This is a task given to us by Almighty God. In our text for today we see that the task has been taken away from those who failed at its production.
The parable Jesus tells is the story of Israel. They were the chosen people. They were the kingdom people. They are the tenants in the parable. When the servants come they stone them and beat them and kill them.
God had sent His prophets to restore Israel unto Himself. Israel refused to hear the message, and they abused those messengers.
The master of the house then sends His Son who He thinks they will respect. But the tenants see an heir who they can kill and gain the inheritance and so that is what they do. They took him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. In just this way, Israel would take Jesus outside the city wall of Jerusalem and crucify him.
The builders rejected the stone that would become the cornerstone. The cornerstone is Jesus and this is what the church is built upon. Salvation has come through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We needed this because we too are enemies of the Son and the cornerstone. We want to produce our own fruit apart from the work of our Lord. We figure a good-looking vineyard procured by our good works will merit a compliment from our Heavenly Father – the master of the house.
We are only kingdom people who can produce kingdom fruit through Word and Sacrament, by God’s grace in Christ Jesus, because the Lord has made us new people of the kingdom. This is a gift. The words of Jesus are clear. The kingdom of God is “given.”
The expectation then is that kingdom people produce kingdom fruit. In our new state of righteousness our sanctified lives produce kingdom fruit such as repentance, faith, works of faith, and in the making of disciples. This task is only done with the Lord’s help. Luther’s Small Catechism states that the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel and enlightens us with His gifts. We are connected to Jesus, who is our lifeline for bearing fruit.
For those of us in the kingdom of God it is always fruit production season. This is what kingdom people do. By God’s grace this is what the LWML does. It is well known for its emphasis on fruit production.
In its pledge we say today you can see the words – “we dedicate ourselves to Him…pledge Him our willing service…consecrate to our Savior our hands to work for Him, our feet to go on His errands, our voice to sing His praises, our lips to proclaim His redeeming love, our silver and gold to extend His kingdom.” These Lutheran Women in Mission are known for their work of sewing quilts and producing school kits and gathering mites for mission grants in their home districts and in countries around the world. The LWML is a blessing as they produce kingdom fruit.
In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Every healthy tree bears good fruit.” (Mt. 7:17) As followers of Jesus, God makes us healthy. We are in His kingdom. We are His people. Forgiven and loved and motivated by the Gospel message may the kingdom of God be recognized by our fruit.
Amen.