Author: TechCommittee

March 13, 2016                                                                     Text:  Luke 20:9-20

 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

As children we have big dreams.  “I wanna play in the Final Four.”  “I am going to swim in the Olympics.”  “I am going to be a doctor when I grow up.”  “Someday, I will be the President.”

Most of the time those dreams do not come true.  Life goes differently than we had planned.  The gifts and abilities that God gives us do not match our desires.  At some point, those dreams we had as kids, get shattered.  You don’t see me playing point guard for the Lakers do you?

The parable of the vineyard reminds us that the dream envisioned is not always the dream fulfilled.

“SHATTERED DREAMS – DREAMS REBUILT”

Like the tenants in the parable, we may have our own dream.  The tenants did not want to give the fruit to the owner.  They had a nice arrangement going here.  A solid future and secure employment provided by the owner who set everything up.  Of course, the owner had a right to his share.  He sent servants. He even sent his son.  But the tenants respond with hatred.  They want the inheritance and so they will have to kill the son.  They were dreaming big dreams.  Getting the son out of the way would pave the way to the goods.  They kill him.  Will that make their dream come true?

We have dreams.  Dreams for our future.  Dreams for our children.  Dreams for ourselves.  Is there a grudge you dream of letting go?  Do you dream of a day when you have no more problems with your child?  Do you lie awake at night wishing your marriage could be like it was in earlier years?  Are you dreaming of a day when your pride doesn’t always get in the way of your behavior?

This text shatters the tenants’ dreams and maybe ours.  The master comes to destroy those servants.  That will shatter their dreams!  What else could they possibly expect?  The stone crushes those upon whom it falls.  These tenants cannot have it their way.  No inheritance, no vineyard, no future.

The tenants represent in the parable the Jewish leaders.  Jesus is declaring how God will shatter their evil dreams.  The temple will be destroyed.  Jerusalem, the headquarters of the establishment, will fall as well.  The way they envisioned it – them in charge, enjoying the adoration of the people – will be no more.  Repent?  Will they turn away from their evil dreams?  No, that wasn’t in their plans.

They will cling to their dream and still try to get the inheritance – they will kill the Son, but he will be raised after three days.  The temple will be restored but it won’t be like before.  A new King is crowned, but he bleeds and suffers for the people.

All this may shatter our dreams.  As we get closer to the cross it does not allow for things to be “my” way; it does not allow dreams to be self-centered.  The cross changes the picture.

Children’s dreams do get shattered.  At some point I knew a 5’9’ white guy was not going to make it to the pinnacle of the basketball world.  Others found not enough speed in their swimming stroke.  Not enough votes even for president of the freshman chess club.  Freezing while dissecting a frog, how would they ever be a doctor?  But dreams can be transformed and rebuilt.  The dreams change to fit the gifts of each of us.  A doctor becomes a social service agency director and binds the wounds of the downtrodden.  Swimming in the Olympics becomes teaching swimming at the local Y.  President becomes leading your town against unfair taxation.  A trip to the Final Four becomes seeing your four kids that you raised marry faithful Lutheran spouses and begin their own Christian families.  In doing so, there is fulfillment.

Rather than being swept away, these shattered dreams are rebuilt.  In death there is life.  The cross was God’s plan from all eternity and it must shatter us.  It shatters our pride.  It shatters our grudges.  It transforms our children and our marriages.  The cross gives us life.  Christ has become our cornerstone.  From that stone, He builds us up to be his Church.  We are being transformed into what God dreamed us to be.

Last weekend Holden and I worked concessions for the Girls State Basketball Finals at Redbird Arena.  Saturday night was the championship game and we had the stand nearest the majority of fans.  He and I were both working the window when halftime came and a mob of humans came at us.  We just kept working.  In the midst of the chaos, and barely noticeable to us, some of his teammates came from another stand to help out.  Everyone got what they needed in about a 10-minute period.  There was no complaining.  There was work to be done and we accomplished it rather smoothly.

That is a good picture of the Lord’s Church upon which we have been built.  We get to see God’s mission and be about his work with others in mind and not ourselves, or our pride.  He allows us to bear fruit and He rebuilds our dreams.  Dreams that are God-centered and other centered, rather than self-centered.

Amen.