It Is All About Grace / Grace Is The Difference

For those who are not familiar with an Anglican Service; Four Scriptures are read prior to the Message. Today's readings are Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105: 1-6,37-45; Philippians 1:21-30 and Matthew 10:1-16

When Edward Everett Hale was Chaplain of the Senate, ...someone asked him, ... "Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?"

He replied, ... "No, I look at the senators ... and I pray ... for the country."

We all need to receive ... the Grace ...of God.

Beloved ... It is all about Grace.

A story is told about Fiorello LaGuardia, ... who, when he was mayor of New York City......Which was during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of World War II.

He was called by many New Yorkers ... "the Little Flower" because he was only five foot four ......and always wore ... a carnation in his ... lapel.

He was a colorful character who used to ride the New Your City fire trucks, ...... raid speakeasies with the police department, ...... take entire orphanages to baseball games.

And whenever the New York newspapers were on strike, ...... he would go on the radio ......and read the Sunday funnies ... to the kids.

One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, ......the mayor turned up at a night court ...... in an area that served the poorest ward ... in the city.

LaGuardia had dismissed the judge for the evening .......and took over the bench ... himself.

Within a few minutes, ... a tattered old woman was brought before him, ... charged with stealing ... a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, ... her daughter was sick, ...... and her two grandchildren ......were starving.

But the shopkeeper, ....... from whom the bread was stolen, ....... refused to drop ... the charges.

"It's a real bad neighborhood, your Honor." ... The shopkeeper told the mayor.

"She's got to be punished to teach others around here ......a lesson."

LaGuardia sighed.

He turned to the woman and said, ... "I have got to punish you.

The law makes no exceptions ...... ten dollars ......or ten days in jail."

But even as he pronounced sentence, ...... the mayor was already reaching into his pocket.

He extracted a bill ... and tossed it into his hat saying, ... "Here is the ten dollars fine which I now remit; ...... and furthermore ... I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town ... where a person must steal bread ......so that her grandchildren can eat.

Mr. Bailiff, ... collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady ......who had stolen a loaf of bread ... to feed her starving ... grandchildren.

Fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner.

While some seventy petty criminals, ...... people with traffic violations, ...... and New York policemen, ...each of whom had just paid fifty cents ...... gave the mayor ... a standing ovation. (Pause)

Here is my question. ... Did the elderly lady in the story get what she deserved?

Clearly the answer is ... of course not.

She had stolen ... a loaf of bread.

Yes, ......she may have had a reason, ...... but stealing is stealing....... and regardless of the reason, ...... punishment would seem to be ......the order of the day. (Pause)

Beloved ... What we see in the story ...is called grace.

And Grace is when one in superior power ...shows kindness or mercy...... to one ...... in a lesser position.

Mayor LaGuardia, ... rather than demanding punishment of the woman herself, ......paid the fine ......and then further helped her cause ...with the collection of the fifty-cent fines ......and then gave all the money ... to her.

It was more than she deserved. ...... It was grace.

That is what our Gospel text speaks to this morning.

Beloved ... It is all about Grace!

Today we will look at ......the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

In this parable ... Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven ......is like a landowner ... that went out and hired workers for his vineyard.

Some he hired early in the day, ... telling them that he would pay them...... the usual daily wage.

He went back at various times of the day ... and found more workers ... that he hired.

Each time as he hired those that were there, ...he told them that he would pay them ......what was right.

We are not told why some had not found work earlier ... or if they had shown up at the marketplace late ......or any other details. (Pause)

Well ... At the end of the day ...... He came to pay the workers.