GOSPEL READING:
Luke 13:1-91 There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." 6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, `Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, `Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. 9 And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Meditation: What can a calamity, such as a political
blood-bath or a natural disaster, teach us about God's kingdom and
the consequences of wrong-doing and turning away from God? Jesus
used two such occasions to address the issue of sin (wrong-doing)
and judgment with his Jewish audience. Pilate, who was the Roman
governor of Jerusalem at the time, ordered his troops to slaughter
a group of Galileans who had come up to Jerusalem to offer
sacrifice in the Temple. We do not know what these Galileans did
to incite Pilate's wrath, nor why Pilate chose to attack them in
the holiest of places for the Jews, in their temple at Jerusalem.
For the Jews, this was political barbarity and sacrilege at its
worst!
The second incident which Jesus addressed was a natural disaster,
a tower in Jerusalem which unexpectedly collapsed, killing 18
people. The Jews often associated such calamities and disasters as
a consequence of sin (doing what is wrong and contrary to God's
law). Scripture does warn that sin can result in calamity! Though
the righteous fall seven times, and rise again; the wicked are
overthrown by calamity (Proverbs 24:16).
The time for repentance and forgiveness is right now!
The real danger and calamity which Jesus points out is that an
unexpected disaster or a sudden death does not give us time to
repent of our sins by acknowledging our wrong-doing and asking for
pardon here and now before we die and are brought face to face
with the Lord of heaven and earth when he calls us to his judgment
seat. The Book of Job reminds us that misfortune and calamity can
befall both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Jesus gives a
clear warning - take responsibility for your actions and moral
choices and put sin to death today before it can poison your
heart, corrupt your mind, and bring destruction to your body as
well.
Allowing sin and sinful attitudes to go unchecked in us is
like a cancer which spreads and corrupts us from within and causes
death if it is not cut off.We must honestly and humbly acknowledge
our sins before God and ask for his forgiveness and for his
healing grace to restore and change us so that we may grow day by
day into the holiness he desires for us. Holding on to sinful
attitudes, and refusing to confess our wrongdoing (sins) before
God to receive his pardon and healing, can only lead to one result
- a corrupt heart, mind, and soul that is dead spiritually. Paul
the Apostle reminds us that "the wages of sin in death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans
6:23). Spiritual death and separation from God is a far worse
condition than any physical harm or loss we might experience in
this present life.Choose today for the abundant life and grace
which Christ has won for you through his victory over sin and
death on the Cross.
The sign of the barren fig tree
Jesus followed his warning to turn away from sin and not allow it
to corrupt our minds and hearts with an illustration and story
(parable) from nature and farming which his listeners would have
easily understood. Good land for growing crops and fruit trees
were sparse in the arid climate of Judea and the surrounding
desert regions. One very common and important source of food for
the people who lived in the region of Galilee and Judea was the
fig tree. Its fruit was highly prized and became a symbol of God's
fruitful blessing and provision for his people. A fig tree
normally matured within three years, producing plentiful fruit. If
it failed, it was cut down to make room for more healthy trees. A
decaying fig tree and its bad fruit came to symbolize for the Jews
the consequence of spiritual corruption caused by evil deeds and
unrepentant sin.
The unfruitful fig tree symbolized the outcome of Israel's
indifference and lack of response to God's word of
repentance and restoration. The prophets depicted the desolation
and calamity of Israel's fall and ruin - due to her unfaithfulness
to God - as a languishing fig tree (see Joel 1:7,12; Habbakuk
3:17; and Jeremiah 8:13). Jeremiah likened good and evil rulers
and members of Israel with figs that were either good for eating
or rotten and wasteful (Jeremiah 24:2-8). Jesus' parable depicts
the patience of God, but it also contains a warning that we should
not presume upon God's patience and mercy. God's judgment will
come in due course - very soon or later. Jesus' parable of the
barren fig tree illustrates his warning about the consequences of
allowing sin (wrongdoing) and moral corruption to take root in our
hearts and minds. We must turn away from sinful atttitudes and
sinful habits and turn to God for his transforming grace and power
to change us.
Why God judges
Why does God judge his people? He judges to purify and cleanse us
of all sin so that we might grow in his holiness and righteousness
(being in a right relationship with God). And he disciplines us
for our own good, to inspire a godly fear and reverence for him
and his holy word. God is patient, but for those who persistently
and stubbornly rebel against him and refuse to repent and change
their course, there is the consequence that they will lose both
their soul and body to hell.
Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? When God's judgments
are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce God's judgment on
sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are
not warned to repent and turn back to God.
Don't tolerate sin
God, in his mercy, gives us time to get right with him, but that
time is now. We must not assume that there is no hurry. A sudden
and unexpected death leaves one no time to prepare to settle one's
accounts when he or she must stand before the Lord on the day of
judgment. Jesus warns us that we must be ready at all times.
Tolerating sinful habits and excusing unrepentant sin and
wrongdoing will result in bad fruit, painful discipline, and
spiritual disease that leads to death and destruction. The Lord in
his mercy gives us both grace (his gracious help and healing) and
time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we
delay, even for a day, we may discover that grace has passed us by
and our time is up. Do you hunger for the Lord's righteousness
(moral goodness) and holiness?
Lord Jesus, increase my hunger for you that I may grow in righteousness and holiness. May I not squander the grace of the present moment to say "yes" to you and to your will and plan for my life.
Psalm 24:1-6
1 The earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;
2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The Lord's three visits through the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Gospel, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The Lord also has something very fitting to say about a
fruitless tree, 'Look, it is now three years that I have been
coming to it. Finding no fruit on it, I will cut it down, to stop
it blocking up my field.' The gardener intercedes... This tree is
the human race. The Lord visited this tree in the time of the
patriarchs, as if for the first year. He visited it in the time of
the law and the prophets, as if for the second year. Here we are
now; with the gospel the third year has dawned. Now it is as
though it should have been cut down, but the merciful one
intercedes with the merciful one. He wanted to show how merciful
he was, and so he stood up to himself with a plea for mercy. 'Let
us leave it,' he says, 'this year too. Let us dig a ditch around
it.' Manure is a sign of humility. 'Let us apply a load of manure;
perhaps it may bear fruit.' Since it does bear fruit in one part,
and in another part does not bear fruit, its Lord will come and
divide it. What does that mean, 'divide it'? There are good people
and bad people now in one company, as though constituting one
body." (excerpt from Sermon 254.3)
