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You are saved by grace through faith, and not by your works.

Did you hear about the Lutheran pastor who died and went to heaven? He got a Chevy Impala from Saint Peter. Most people have to walk in heaven, but because he served so faithfully on Earth, he gets a perk in heaven, a car! Well this was great until the next day he saw the Catholic priest, Father O’Malley driving a Mercedes Benz. Well this isn’t fair, he thought. So St. Peter explained that the priest didn’t have the joy of being married or having a family of his own, so he gets an extra perk. This was okay until the next day the pastor saw a Lamborghini driving very fast. He did see inside enough to identify a Rabbi inside. This didn’t seem fair at all since the rabbi also had a family. So the pastor asked St. Peter. St. Peter said, well, the rabbi may not have earned it, but he is related to the boss, and so he has connections. 

So what makes this joke funny? The joke playfully questions what a person has to do to get into heaven. Some people think that you must do certain things to get into heaven. The joke, however, questions if perhaps a person can get into heaven not because they deserve it, but simply because they have connections. The joke also points to a more negative thought present in our minds, which is if the Jewish people are included within God’s covenant of salvation. Yes they are.

Your Work Won’t Save You

Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner and some hostile tenants. They have previously entered into a business relationship with the owner that they no longer wish to follow. The deal was this: the workers get to care for the vineyard, they can profit from their labors, but the owner expects to receive a portion of what has been produced. The workers decide that they don’t like this arrangement so they attack all of the representatives of the owner: his slaves, and his son. They kill the son. 

Some people have read this parable and tried to argue that it is about God ending the covenant with the Jewish people. That is a false interpretation which is not biblical. This interpretation is false for lots of reasons. Jesus warns that the vineyard will be taken from the workers who did not give the proceeds to the owner. This is a warning not directed at a religion or ethnic group. It is a warning directed at you and me, and every human being that walks the earth. It is a warning against works-righteousness.

Saved by Grace

Works Righteousness says that you are responsible for earning God’s blessings by your actions. The rebellious and hostile vineyard workers have been lured into works righteousness. They feel that they have earned and deserve all of the vineyard. They have a hard time accepting that it all belongs to someone else. They think that they can further secure their wealth and well being by becoming the owners. You and I make this mistake when we think that we can earn our salvation, and run things better than God. 

So what is an alternative? What is a better way to think? It is that you are saved by grace through faith and not by your works. Your salvation is a free gift from God. God saves you. God loves you unconditionally. God makes your livelihood and existence possible. God makes the grapes to grow, the sun to rise, the rain to fall, the soil to nourish plants. God owns the land. God owns the stones in the wall and the watchtower. The pit to crush the grapes rests in God’s earth. Your body belongs to God. Your soul belongs to God. Your life belongs to God. Your family belongs to God. Everything belongs to God. God’s work is forever and eternally greater than we are. God alone can save you,