3-23-25              Luke 13:1-9

By The Rev. Maxine Gray

1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2 [Jesus] asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
  6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ 8 He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

May mercy be yours as you take advantage of the time of reprieve that is given to you today.  Amen

It was a terrible fate visited upon those people, a disgrace to their faith practices, so humiliating for their families and community. You can’t help but wonder what they had done to deserve such an ending. In fact, that crowd was busy wondering about such possibilities. That was the gossip that was going round; that is why they shared this news with Jesus, hoping they would hear more of the details. If anyone would know, it should be him, this prophet. Tell us, Jesus, all the lurid details, give us a run down of all the bad behaviors that precipitated this punishment. Tantalize us with every awful detail. Oh, sure, some of the people were feeling sad about these dreadful occurrences and perhaps even worried about the chance that something similar could happen to them. But many were doing a little comparison shopping, expecting they would come out ahead. Jesus caught on immediately to their ruse. It was an unannounced contest in which the listeners were hoping to come out besting the competition. As if God was dividing up the people into winners and losers. Oh, we humans certainly play that game, far too often. It would be best however, if we would leave such clashes in the sports’ arenas. 

So, Jesus asks his listeners: “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? …Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?”  He was asking them if they really thought that God sent catastrophes to mete out punishment, and then making it proportionate to the sin?  His answer was an emphatic NO! No, God does not operate in that way! There is suffering in this world. People are victims of unforeseen disasters. The innocent get caught up in the machinations of the powerful and the wicked. You know that is true. It could be you have experienced such mayhem and evil in your own life and you certainly have witnessed as happening to others. God, though, has a different goal in mind. 

Here is that word again! It keeps coming up in these scriptural conversations and in the proclamations of the prophets. Jesus says “Repent.” If you are truly worried or wondering about sin, if you are fearful of the troubles that can suddenly descend upon you and shake the foundations of your life – then change what you can, alter what you do have control over. Change your mind, set aside the way you have been behaving, the direction you have been taking, and repent. Make the needed adjustments in your life, change course, and return to the Lord. [We just sang it. During Lent we sing it as a way to applaud the gospel reading, at this time when we are especially being directed to this very action ourselves. Return to the Lord your God! Why? For his is gracious and merciful, there is grace for you and your sins will be forgiven. God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love – you can count on God’s patience with you and his response, for it is an outpouring of a forever-dependable love.]  If we want to enter a contest of whose sins rate the highest, are the most disgusting, or are of greater severity, then we will discover that we are likely to be worse than those Galileans who suffered or than the poor people who died from the crashing tower. We are not ranked as better people than those who have died recently in floods, tornadoes, fires, or accidents. This life is not meant to be a competition with all the others. Jesus is concerned about YOU! He calls you to repentance. He asks you to look within yourself and also would have you review what you have given of yourself, not to gain a ranking but to be who you are to be.

         That is where the parable of the fig tree comes in. The landowner had been anticipating those sweet figs and had been waiting and watching for the tree to become productive. He figured it had been growing long enough in his vineyard to have produced something. Yet there was no fruit. So he instructs the gardener to remove it, no use having it waste the soil and the space where something else might grow. The gardener holds out hope and bargains for another year, another chance for the fig tree. Give it more time, with extra attention from him, is his request to the owner.

Jesus is placing himself in the role of gardener for your sake. He is willing to provide you with greater attention. He wants you to be aware that He is there to support you and give you strength. He is rooting for you to make the changes you need to make in the way you live so that you can produce fruit. Second chances, more care, a redirection of resources, a reminder of the goal, a new focus for your time, these Jesus puts before you. The acknowledgement that the manure that gets heaped on you, can actually be that which brings about some good growth. & Not only for you but for those around you. There is much to which you need to attend, and you won’t get there by trying to figure out winners and losers, which just divides and reduces what can be accomplished by joining together. Just repent, which will send you in the direction toward home, your real home, where God is the Father and Jesus waits at the door, providing you with water and the Meal for growth and his very Spirit fills you with purpose. This time is yours to use.