Luke 13:1-9
March 7, 2010
"Bear Fruit"
It seems like Jesus is contradicting himself here. First he says these people did not die because God struck them down for their sin, but than he says, “But unless you repent, you too will perish.”
To understand this what we need to know is that this small portion of the gospel of Luke is part of a larger section in Luke that begins in Chapter 12:1, in which Jesus speaks of the grace and judgment of God. Jesus is using this actual interruption in his discourse to do two things.
First, Jesus was addressing the “False thinking of that time that God was the immediate cause of all events, which leaves no room for human freedom or freedom in the created order and therefore for events that God does not control.” New International Bible Commentary “Luke” In other words, most people believed that if you died like the Galileans, who were slaughtered by Pilate or the Jerusalemites, who had a tower fall on them than they must be sinners getting their just punishment in this life. Many “Jews rigidly connected sin and suffering.” Jesus rejected that. Barclay “Luke”
Jesus was saying no, that is not the reason they died. He is trying to point out “that life is uncertain, death capricious, and judgment is inevitable.” New International Bible Commentary “Luke”
In fact the second thing that Jesus is doing here is using this interruption, this question about the Galileans as a way of finishing out his discourse about the Grace and the Judgment of God. In this section Jesus uses this reference to death when he says, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish” as a metaphor for the judgment of God.
Jesus was driving home the point to his hearers that the coming judgment of God was inescapable so be prepared by bearing fruit.
As I have already said, this is part of a larger discourse on the Grace and Judgment of God that began in Chapter 12:1. Time and again Jesus is making his point God’s justice is coming so repent and turn to God. In this section you read about that there nothing that is hidden that will not one day be known.
Jesus says, “I tell you whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.” Jesus speaks to those who follow him to not worry for God will take care of them.
He tells the parable of the Rich Fool who dies suddenly before he can enjoy the fruits of his work. He speaks of the Wise Manager watching for his Master’s return.
He calls the crowd to interpret the times and then tells the parable of the Debtor on his way to the Judge making peace. Again and again Jesus here strikes a balance between warnings of God’s judgment with promises of God’s mercy. Again and again we hear of the wideness in God’s mercy, the God of long suffering, patience and second chances.
Jesus was saying had the Galileans know of Pilate’s murderous treachery they would not have shown up where they could be killed. If the Jerusalemites had known of the faulty tower construction they would not have been where it could have fallen on them.
From this Jesus was saying you now know and have heard without a doubt that God’s judgment is coming and that you can avoid it if you repent and follow me. God’s grace is wider than his judgment so please avail yourself of it and turn to me for the time is short. Our lives are short whether we live 20 or a 100 years, our lives are short compared to eternity.
So bear fruit. What fruit is Jesus speaking of here? Simply here to heed his warning. Jesus is calling for repentance which is very much a part of the Lenten season. But is repentance simply sorrow and regret and shame over past deeds and actions of turning from God? No there is much more to it and a much more positive way of approaching repentance.
A pastor pointed out to me recently that “repentance” has more to do with the future than with the past. Let me explain. We can tie ourselves up in knots in mourning and shame and sorrow over the past, or we can simple learn from our mistakes and turn in a new direction towards God.
“Sin” in the Bible literally means “missing the mark”. To sin means to be off course from God and the direction that God wants for our lives. When we are “sinning” we often refer to that as being “Lost”. We are wandering around not knowing which way to go. We continually then miss the mark of loving God and neighbor.
“Repent” literally means “to turn around”. When we repent we get back to going the right direction in life. We turn from sin and sins and turn towards God. We begin to love God and neighbor in deeper and more profound ways. When we repent we experience the grace of God and avoid the judgment of God and the choice is ours.
The scary thing is that the choice is ours to repent. God will not force us. Jesus will not force us. The warnings and the rewards are there and the choice is ours.
Let us look a little more closely at the grace that is present in this section. As I said, “in this section there is a balance of warnings about God’s judgment along with promises of God’s mercy and grace.” New International Bible Commentary “Luke”
This parable of the Fig Tree points more to the grace of God than God’s judgment if you understand the growing of fig trees in Jesus’ day. Land that you could plant on and actually grow anything of value was very scarce and valuable. It takes fig trees once sprouted 3 years to start producing fruit. If after 3 years there is no fruit it is determined the fig tree isn’t going to bear fruit so it is cut down and another tree planted.
This fig tree in the parable gets a second chance. The gardener said he would fertilize it and give it one more year. The gardener would give it “The year of the Lord’s favor”, which is a year of forgiveness, restoration, repentance and 2nd chances.
We today live in the year of the Lord’s favor. Now is the day of our salvation. Now is the time that we can repent and be found. Now is the time to repent and put the past behind us and look forward to the future God has for us.
“The challenge of the fig tree is a challenge to live each day as a gift from God. Live each day in such a way that you will have no fear of giving an account for how you have used God’s gift of life.” New International Bible Commentary “Luke”
We bear fruit in loving God and in loving neighbor through Jesus Christ and in that way we avoid the judgment of the world of which Jesus warns. We can look forward to the “Bema” judgment; the judgment of believers where we will hear not condemnation but “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Remember I spoke recently about how there are going to be two judgments, one for followers of Jesus and one for those who reject him. From the Greek the judgment we will face, we who have repented is the “Bema” judgment. It is the judgment of the winner’s steps in the Olympics. “We die once and then there is the judgment,” but for believers who have turned to Christ it is not a time of fear and sorrow but a time of triumph through him who has overcome the world.
Holy Communion is a time to remember and “re-member” the Body of Christ. It is a time in which we have heeded Jesus’ warnings and accepted his grace. It is at this time all the separated members of the body of Christ come together again to “re-member”. We come together again as we all confess our sin, our lostness, repent and turn towards God.
The words of the hymn go “There is a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea; there’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty.”
Today I encourage you all to remember this that our God is a God of second chances, one more year, that wishes no one to perish but for all to live with God eternally.
Remember this as you confess and come forward today and as you do you will be “re-membered” in the Body of Christ to live with him eternally.
