Lenten Devotional for Tuesday March 13, 2007

Based on Luke 13:1-9

There are times when we hear of violence so horrible that it overwhelms us. It stops us in our tracks and we realize, if only for a moment, that we live in and participate in a sinful world.

I think the disciples must have had this sort of reaction to the news of Pilate’s violence against these Galileans whose blood he mixed with their sacrifices. Overwhelmed, they brought this news to Jesus, perhaps hoping to hear a comforting word that would calm their hearts and minds.

But Jesus did not respond with this sort of comforting and calming word. Instead he offered challenging words and a perplexing parable.

Immediately he knows the leap that our human nature takes when we are confronted with the sinfulness of the world and our participation in it. Most of us have two thoughts that help us get through these moments of overwhelming clarity about sin: “At least I’m not that bad” and “They must have done something to deserve it.”

Jesus makes the point very strongly that all are equal when it comes to sin. These individuals and those who were killed in an earlier tragedy at Silom were not any more sinful than any other person. Tragic suffering and persecution is not inherently related to sinfulness. Sinfulness is a human condition that we must all face or it will separate us eternally from God and our neighbors. This is ultimately what it means to perish. Although the realization that we live in and participate in a sinful world is the most difficult thought to process and hold on to, it is the one that leads to repentance. Jesus is clear that all must repent. Twice within just a few verses he proclaims, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

The parable that Jesus goes on to teach confirms this. It is not enough to be a tree growing in a vineyard. It is not enough for us to be a ‘good’ person in this world. The owner of the vineyard is looking for fruit from that tree just as God is looking for fruit in our lives. The only way that we can produce fruit is through repentance: turning to God, confessing our participation in both known and unknown ways in this sinful world, acknowledging that we need God, and humbly trying to live in the way of Jesus with God and our neighbors.

Jesus came to be the one who intercedes on behalf of the tree and offers to fertilize it and to help it realize its full fruit-bearing potential. He intercedes on our behalf and shows us how to live fruit-bearing lives. When we repent he will reconcile us to God and our neighbor eternally which is abundant, eternal life.

Once Jesus has offered the fertilizer of his death and resurrection and the plant still does not bear fruit, he agrees that it can be cut down. Thankfully we are given this same chance and more. Whenever we repent in our lives and turn to him and begin to bear fruit, we are welcomed into abundant, eternal life. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: In those moments when we want to protect ourselves from facing the true depth of our sinfulness and of this world we live in, help us to look our sinfulness straight in the eye and use it to repent and grow closer to you O God in that abundant, eternal life you offer to us in Jesus Christ. Amen.


Luke 13:1-9 NIV
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "